8. Protects against gout
Gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis, is triggered by a crystallization of uric acid within the joints, causes excruciating pain and swelling. A study published in a journal of the American College of Rheumatology followed participants with gout for one year. Researchers documented 1,247 gout attacks from males, averaging 54 years of age. Ninety-two percent experienced gout at the joint at the base of the big toe. Thirty-five percent ate fresh cherries and two percent drank a cherry extract. Additionally, five percent consumed both fresh cherry fruit and cherry extract. The study found that those who consumed cherries reduced gout attacks by 35 percent. In fact, when combined with a uric-acid reducing drug, gout attacks reduced by a whopping 75 percent.
