Sour Cherry Juice for Arthritis

Nowadays, it has become increasingly common to find individuals who swear by sour cherry juice for arthritis. It wasn't that many years back when treatment of any particular disease was solely anchored on medication and therapy. Today, increased awareness of the health benefits of foods, particularly those with lots of antioxidants, has helped increase the use of food in the area of disease management. One option that has become popular is sour cherry juice for arthritis.

But what is in cherries and cherry products that make this little fruit potent for arthritis management? The secret lies in the antioxidant content of sour cherries. Every 75-gram serving of cherries and its equivalent juice content has about 3,000 ORAC of bioflavonoid antioxidants which is enough to meet the recommended daily dietary requirements for antioxidants.

When in the body, antioxidants play a variety of useful roles that make the prescription of sour cherry juice for arthritis a great idea from the perspective of nutrition. First, antioxidants possess anti-inflammatory properties which make them ideal for controlling and managing inflammation and pain. Arthritis attacks, for example, are primarily caused by inflammation of the joints and ligaments. This makes arthritis an especially painful illness. Antioxidants help deal with the pain and symptoms by acting as a natural anti-inflammatory substance. Patients actually report a lower incidence of arthritis attacks combined with less pain when they use cherry products on a regular basis.

In addition, the antioxidants in sour cherry juice also aid in promoting overall health. Antioxidants are very effective in preventing damage by free radicals at the cellular level. Free radicals are harmful because they are aggressive, unstable chemicals that are out to harm and damage cells. An abundance of free radicals in one's diet can counteract the effects of free radicals, preserving cellular function and biological integrity. This helps explain how joints, ligaments and tendons slowly heal with continued consumption of sour cherry juice for arthritis.

To fully take advantage of the benefits of cherries, doctors advise drinking a glass of juice twice a day. Alternatively, sour cherry concentrate can also be used if you want a more potent dosage. The only caution worth remembering is to stay away from cherry juice and cherry concentrate that contains a lot of artificial additives as these can do more harm than good. Additives like artificial flavoring and sweeteners can lead to many adverse effects that negate the positive benefits of sour cherry juice for arthritis.

As a last note, patients must remember that using cherry products for arthritis is only supplemental in nature and must never be used as an alternative to conventional medicine. We are still at a stage where vigorous research and experimentation are helping to reveal the health benefits of cherries. But at the very least, it has been found that cherries can help boost recovery and lower the severity of arthritis attacks, and that in itself is a benefit that is well worth celebrating as a complement to the medications that patients currently take.

If you would like to know more about the health benefits of cherries including more about cherry juice for arthritis and gout, feel free to read more well-done articles on the subject.

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