A DAILY dose of tart cherries is being tested as a treatment for gout. Around 120 people who have had at least one attack of gout in the past 12 months are taking part in a trial at Sheffield Hallam University, in which they will receive a daily 30ml dose of tart cherry concentrate – equivalent to about 100 fresh cherries – for a year. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid, produced when purines – compounds in alcohol and foods such as bacon and liver – are broken down and deposited as crystals in joints, causing painful inflammation. Researchers predict the cherry’s anti-inflammatory properties will reduce the risk of a flare-up from 11 to 2.7 per cent.
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