Tart cherries keep gout at bay

Q. I have had very good success using dried cherries to prevent gout. I began having gout attacks, mostly in my left foot, about 20 years ago. This surprised me, because I was not on a rich man’s diet and rarely ate meat or rich foods. Abstaining from alcohol and trying to eliminate all foods containing purines did not work.

My uric-acid levels were high, so my doctor started me on the drug allopurinol. It was not very effective and damaged my liver.

I had heard about the benefits of eating dried cherries and decided to give them a try. I also increased my water intake.

I have not had an attack of gout for at least three years. I put 15 Montmorency whole dried tart cherries on my cereal each morning. I’m not going to mess with success.

A. You are not the only reader who has had success with tart cherries against gout. For years, visitors to our website have reported similar benefits.

In one study, people with gout were 35 percent less likely to suffer an attack if they were eating cherries or taking cherry extract (Arthritis and Rheumatism, December 2012). We always are delighted when scientists confirm what the old wives have been saying for years. In this case, the investigators concluded, “These findings suggest that cherry intake is associated with a lower risk of gout attacks.”

Q. When the nurse in my doctor’s office asked me what supplements I take, I mentioned vitamin C and told him that I up the dose if I feel a cold coming on. He laughed and said that had been disproven ages ago.

I am convinced that it works for me. What do you say?

A. Taking vitamin C for preventing colds has been controversial for decades, ever since Linus Pauling recommended this strategy back in 1970. Since then there have been numerous studies but only limited evidence that this vitamin actually prevents colds.

Studies among marathon runners and people under severe winter conditions show that vitamin C cuts the risk of a cold in half under these circumstances (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Jan. 31, 2013). Other research indicates that people taking vitamin C regularly, as you do, are sick for fewer days if they catch a cold.

Q. I have been using soap in my bed for five years to manage my restless leg syndrome (RLS). I keep a bar on the couch, too. I even travel with a bar I can use in hotel rooms. I’ve given bed soap to people with chronic leg cramps or RLS, and they are amazed at how quickly it works.

A. Not everyone gets benefit from soap, but those who do are often as enthusiastic as you are. Most health professionals assume this is due to a placebo effect, but an anesthesiologist reported in medical literature that the fragrance in soap does appear to ease muscle cramps (Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, September 2008).

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or email them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”

2014 King Features Syndicate Inc.