Cranberries - The no-no berry for gout patients I was reading one of the latest BLOG post in the popular Orble site when I came across "The benefits of Cranberries". I have seen this berry sold as juices in most organic shops when I was getting some cherry juice for my mother. Although it looked overwhelm that it could help many health complications (as claimed from the BLOG post), I still ran a search about this berry and how it links to gout, wanted to find out whether it is a friend or a foul for gout patients. |
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Cranberry fruit (Vaccinium oxycoccus)
Family: Ericaceae
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccus, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccus. They are found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to 10 cm tall (often less), with slender, wiry stems, not thickly woody, and small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink, with very distinct reflexed petals, leaving the style and stamens fully exposed and pointing forward. The fruit is a true berry that is larger than the leaves of the plant; it is initially white, but turns a deep red when fully ripe. It is edible, with an acidic taste that can overwhelm its sweetness.
Cranberries are recorded under the Acidic pH food chart and it is one of the fruit that is not encouraged to consume if you have higher uric acid level or serious gout complications.
Another site I found was stating about a reader to an author who wrote about the goodness of cranberry, stated that he started suffering gout pain and gradually degrease the gout symptoms after he stop consuming his favourite cranberry.
Therefore although it does help complications such as genital herpes, ulcers, bladder infections, urinary tract, and stomach discomfort; it is not a green-light fruit for serious gout patients.
If you are suffering arthritis or gout and unsure of the integrity of this article, please consult with doctor whether will cranberry worsens your situation.
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