Review pomegranate and gout information

[Keith Taylor]

This topic about pomegranate and gout is to improve the pomegranate information on GoutPal.com. It includes summaries of old discussions. Together with new research into uric acid and pomegranates.

So far, the key points about pomegranate, uric acid, and gout are (in no particular order):

• From Colcrys license submission material:
  “The colchicine drug guide provides an extensive list of drugs that might interact with colchicine. Included in this list is grapefruit juice. Note that other potential CYP3A4 inhibitors include pomegranate, Seville oranges, pomello and star fruit.”
• My comments to a gout sufferer:
  “There’s some interesting recent research on cherry juice that refers to pomegranate juice. It uses pomegranate juice as a control to compare with cherry juice. As far as I can see, cherry juice is good for gout, but pomegranate has no effect. There’s a summary in a 2013 letter to American rheumatologists, Previously Reported Prior Studies of Cherry Juice Concentrate for Gout Flare Prophylaxis.

  That letter links to several research studies, including Pilot Studies of Cherry Juice Concentrate for Gout Flare Prophylaxis. I’ve had that one on my list of things to do for a long time. If anyone wants me to summarize it, please encourage me by adding your comments here. It includes the interesting fact that a tablespoon of cherry juice concentrate is equivalent to 45-60 cherries!”

• Reviewing Pomegranate juice supplementation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:
  “The report tested a long list of blood substances, including uric acid, and no significant change was found. Of course, this type of study may reveal that uric acid levels do fall in gout patients and people with high uric acid levels, but until somebody tests for this specific relationship, we’ll never be sure.

  Pomegranate juice has been reported as having other health benefits. However, you must be careful if you are taking any medication, for gout or anything else. Pomegranate juice (like grapefruit juice but more powerful) can have a significant effect on drugs that are processed by the liver. Kelly Summers concludes (in theannals.com):

  as the media exposure of pomegranates as a healthy “superfood” continues to increase, pharmacists may begin encountering more patients with potential drug/food interactions.

  “

Over to you. Do you have any questions, experiences, or opinions about pomegranate and gout? Please reply with ideas for improving GoutPal information about this topic.

Please remember – if you want personal help with your own concerns about pomegranate, please start a new topic in the gout forum.

[Tony]

Yesterday evening I drank almost 1lt of pomegranate juice. Today morning i woke up with pain and a gout attack, not a severe one, but painful nevertheless. I can put my shoes on and walk, but with pain.

I have not had a gout attack for about a year and think it is caused by the pomegranate juice. I also took various vitamins yesterday, for the first time, so i do not know if this plays also a role. After my gout pain goes away (I took Alopurinol) i will experiment with pomegranate juice again, so that I know if it is the cause or not.

[mikeym1a]

I found Tony’s experience interesting. I have suffered from gout intermittantly for about 10 years. My doctor gave me colchicine for it. I consider it a wonder drug. 4 to 3 little pills over 2-3 days, and it disappears. My latest bout came after purchasing a pomegranate, and bringing it home. We extracted all the seeds, and from time to time, I would pop some in my mouth, extract the juice, and put the seeds in the trash. After several days, my gout made itself known. I just took the last of my colchicine, and it seems to have gone away, for now. I practice martial arts, at the age of 62, and my feet always hurt after a long class, but, with the gout, it’s difficult to just walk. The kata and kumite are out of the question. I guess I’ll get some fresh cherry juice, and make a clinic appt to get my colchicine renewed. Still wondering if the pomegranate caused it. Don’t think I’ll experiment with it, way too much pain. I don’t like hobbling around like an old man, even if I do look like one…….

[GoutPal HelpDesk]

There’s been a lot of interest in pomegranate & uric acid. But, no feedback yet. So, we added the pomegranate photo, to see if it encourages new comments.

We hope the notes on that photograph make it clear:
– For general facts about pomegranate and gout, add replies below.
– For personal help with issues about pomegranate for gout, start your own new gout topic.

[william]

Last week i was happy to use the slow juicer and thinking about better health,

I drink fresh press juice for 3 consecutive evening, pomegranate + pear, pomegranate+apple and pomegranate+carrot. taste so sweet and fresh, however the fourth day i got gout attack which i did not had it for more than 6 months.

I’m not sure if this is caused by pomegranate or high sugar juice.

[Keith Taylor]

Firstly, I should thank the recent contributors for their remarks about pomegranate juice and gout. So, inspired by the interest shown in pomegranate for uric acid, I checked recent research:
1. Anti-urolithiatic effects of Punica granatum in male rats. N R Rathod et al. Journal of ethnopharmacology, March 2012. Pomegranate juice had a significant uric acid lowering effect in rats.

2. Fruit juice drinks prevent endogenous antioxidant response to high-fat meal ingestion. Cristiana Miglio et al. The British journal of nutrition August 2013. This studies many fruit juices, one of which is pomegranate. It shows that uric acid normally increases in humans, after eating a high-fat meal. However, drinking fruit juices with the meal reduced this rise in uric acid.

3. Benefits of pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn) fruit extracts to weight changes, total protein, and uric acid in white rats (Rattus norvegicus) as an animal model of acute renal failure. Hardany Primarizky et al. Vet World, Nov 2016. Inducing kidney failure in rats raised uric acid levels. But, pomegranate extracts returned uric acid to normal.

Note that none of these studies are real gout studies. So, they do not prove that pomegranate can reduce uric acid in gout patients. But, they do suggest you might like to try.

[Vijay]

Thank you, I found this information useful. But, I would like to ask more.

I am 68 years old and never suffered from gout. However, in December 2016 I started drinking pomegranate juice ( prepared by
Warming pomegranate seed in warm water
This is not fresh pomegranate but dried seed bought from Amazon)
Within weeks my Uric acid levels shot up
From completely normal to 430 µmol/L

I am generally healthy and not excessive drinker etc.. I did not change any of my habits in the last 7/8 months. The only addition was the pomegranate juice!!!

Any comments, please.
I am a pharmacist and have practiced for 49 years plus as a professional.

I am stopping to take the pomegranate juice today and will monitor the levels in 2 months and report

[Author]

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