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Sour Cherries Worked Against Gout

Posting Date: 07/11/2005

Q. My sister has had two recent episodes of gout. Because she has no health insurance, she could not afford to go to the doctor.

I gave her some samples of an anti-inflammatory medicine I had on hand. She took them, but got relief only when she started eating sour cherries. Someone told her it was an old remedy to eat 6 cherries a day.

Was this relief all in her mind? What other gout remedies do you recommend? Will the gout come back again? It was extremely painful and left her almost immobile.

A. Gout is a painful condition in which uric acid crystals form in joints and other soft tissue. The slightest pressure on a big toe or ankle can be excruciating. Once someone has an attack or two, they may be more prone to others, unless uric acid levels are lowered.

Many readers have reported that sour cherries can ease the pain associated with gout and even arthritis. Fresh, dried or frozen cherries, cherry juice or even cherry extract capsules may be helpful. No home remedies have been clinically tested, however.

There are helpful medicines to lower uric acid levels, but they require a prescription. A diet low in red meat, fish or other seafood and high in low-fat dairy products seems to help some people avoid gout attacks. Alcohol, especially beer, increases the risk of gout (Lancet, April 17, 2004).

Q. Does internal cleansing (colon hydrotherapy) work? That is, does it improve health? Is there really many years? worth of fecal matter impacted in my colon?

Along the same line, should I try to clean parasites out of my body? We treat our pets for parasites yearly, and I?ve read that they are responsible for just about every malady known to man.

A. According to the doctors who specialize in gastrointestinal problems, the idea of fecal matter accumulating in the colon for years is an urban legend.