There are no either solid scientific study or logical explanation when it comes to the idea that the cherry is a cure for gout. But that does not stop many individuals from believing in this little wonder. However, the serpents are natural and venomous at the same time.
What this article is aiming for is to explain what are the cherry juice’s side effects for gout. You read it right, it has side effects. take note though that most of the side effects will occur only if the assumed cherry effects are really real.
What if the cherry WORKS?
If the cherries can treat gout, then it will really be fantastic. The two gout medications namely colchicine and allopurinol that are good in causing relief and have side effects will not be needed anymore. The cherry is assumed to be working wonders which are far past the scope of the NSAIDs, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, and much more. Many of the wonderful effects of the cherry seem to be too exaggerated and easily invalidated. The cherry’s effectiveness in treating gout have an own article so it will not be discussed more here.
The Cherries’ Dark Side
The cherries contain a great number of vitamins, Vitamin C in specific and basically good for the health. If the cherry’s effect claims about treating the gout are real, surely there will be side effects.
First of all, the cherries have a high amount of flavonoids and anthocyanin in specific. The anthocyanin is expected to be acting like the allopurinol. It will act like the xanthine oxidase inhibitor that is temporarily reducing the level of the uric acid. You read it right. It is temporarily . In fact, the xanthine oxidase inhibitors like the allopurinol will only halt but not really stop the production of the uric acid. Ingesting xanthine oxidase inhibitors has a chemical reaction with xanthine oxidase which has the responsibility on breaking down the purine into the uric acid. the medicine will then mask itself as a purine, which cheats your system to believe so. Xanthine oxidase will be reacting with the medicine instead of breaking down the purine. If the xanthine oxidase seems to be occupied in cuddling with the inhibitors, no one will take care the purine. Then, where the purine does go? The answer is NOWHERE. In simple speaking, the purine is needed to be broken down into uric acid in order for it be flushed out of the body and if there is no one who will do the work, it will just stay in the body. The productions of the uric acid will only be delayed. And after a long period of time, the purine will break and the liver will release the XO onrush. This is disastrous to you and the liver for the reason that it will cause a terrible gout attack. Therefore, if the cherries are certainly inheriting the xanthine oxidase characteristics of the allopurinol, it will indeed inherit the same side effects also.
The bad news is that the cherries will act as the xanthine oxidase inhibitors only in the test tubes. If you eat a cherry or any other fruits that are rich in anthocyanin, the said flavonoid is flushed as metabolites by the body and the left is only 5%. The good news is that it will not act as xanthine oxidase inhibits so it will not produce side effects. there will be no delay in uric acid and no terrible gout attack. Only a plain ball of fructose.
In fact, the fructose can increase the production of the uric acid and can cause gout. The cherry is a good fructose source. The fructose will be metabolizing into lactic acid. this will lead to the kidney having divided attention into disposing the lactic acid and disposing of the uric acid. therefore, the output rate of the uric acid will decrease. Additionally, it increases the uric production level by boosting the breakdown rate of the ATP which will result from the reaction with the fructokinase. Simply speaking, it increases both the uric acid and purine while the adenosine trisphosphate is broken down.
Consumption of the cherries in normal amount will not increase the uric acid in distinct rate. However, if you consume a large number of cherries just to experience the supposed effect of the XO inhibition, surely you will notice uric acid increase.
Cherries: It is Anti-Inflammatory
It is true because it owes this to the anthocyanin and as mentioned already, the anthocyanin is flushed away like the metabolites. If you really want to produce the said effects, you need to consume a lot of cherries. This is kind of ironic for gout attack that you will surely experience will really defeat the anti-inflammatory effect purpose. You can know more about the details in an article about the cherry as a gout treatment.
