Cherries lower Blood Urate Levels

New research adds to the in vitro evidence that compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways. Dr. Robert A. Jacob with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Western Human Nutrition Center at the University of California at Davis and a team of researchers reported the findings from their study in the June 2003 issue of The Journal of Nutrition. 

Ten healthy women, ages 20 to 40, consumed 45 fresh cherries. The results show that all the women had lower blood uric acid levels after consuming the cherries; the average reduction in blood uric acid levels was 15 percent. Gout, a painful disease of the joints, is associated with high uric acid levels. These high uric acid levels also can indicate future heart attacks and strokes. Information about the study also was featured in the December 2003 issue of Prevention magazine.

Dr. Jacob believes that the anthocyanins in the cherries is what caused the decrease in blood urate and that eating cherries may help lower heart attack and stroke risk. Jacob says canned or dried tart cherries and tart cherry juice contain the same anthocyanins as the fresh sweet cherries used in the study. One serving of cherries a day should have some benefit, according to Dr. Jacob.

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Source: Cherry Marketing Institute