Tart Cherry Supplementation Shows No Effect on Hyperuricemia Responses

Drew Gonzalez, PhD

Credit: LinkedIn

Tart cherry (TC) supplementation had no effect on the uricemic response in people with hyperuricemia after consuming high-purine meals, although it did seem to blunt the glycemic response and influence some inflammatory cytokines.¹

“…limited work has addressed how TC affects the uricemic response to ingesting high-purine meals. Given the prevalence of high-purine foods and diets, understanding the impact of TC supplementation on UA levels and markers of health factors can shed light on potential treatment strategies to prevent gout.² Therefore, this study aimed to determine if TC ingestion with a high-purine meal would reduce increases in serum UA. The secondary objective was to determine if TC supplementation would lower pro-inflammatory cytokine responses and/or improve markers of cardiometabolic health,” lead investigator Drew Gonzalez, PhD, postdoctoral researcher, Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M University, and colleagues wrote.1

Gonzalez and colleagues analyzed data from 25 adults (15 male, 10 female) with elevated fasting UA levels (mean, 5.8 mg/dL; standard deviation [SD], 1.3). Participants had an average age of 40.6 years (SD, 9), an average weight of 85.0 kg (SD, 17) and an average BMI of 29.1 kg/m² (SD, 4.9). Participants ingested capsules containing 960 mg of a placebo (PLA) or concentrated TC powder containing 20.7 mg of proanthocyanins with a serving of hot soup (10 g of carbohydrate, 2 g protein, and 1 g fat) containing 3 g of purines (1 g of adenosine 5′-monophosphate, 1 g of disodium 5′-guanylate, and 1 g of disodium 5′-inosinate).¹

Investigators obtained blood samples at 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min after ingestion. They also analyzed blood counts, a comprehensive metabolic panel, cytokines, inflammatory markers, and subjective side effects ratings at baseline and after 240 minutes. Participants continued consuming 2 capsules/day of the assigned treatment for 1 week, repeated the experiment, and then switched treatments after a 14-day washout and then repeated the experiment while ingesting the alternate treatment.

Gonzalez and colleagues did not find any statistically significant interaction effects or differences between treatments on uric acid levels or pharmacokinetic profiles. They did find that ingesting TC reduced blood glucose levels following the ingestion of the high-purine meal (−4.2% [95% CI, −7.7 to −0.7]; P = 0017). They also found a trend of TC ingestion attenuating the increase in IL-1β and IL-10 and increased INF-γ from baseline. There were no significant differences seen in other health markers or subjective side effects ratings.¹

“Acute and 1-week powdered TC supplementation did not promote statistically significant reductions in UA in response to ingestion of a high-purine-containing meal. However, TC ingestion decreased the glycemic response to the high-purine meal 240 min following the acute ingestion. There was some evidence that TC attenuated the increase from baseline in IL-1β and IL-10 and increased INF-γ. However, no significant differences were seen in the remaining health markers or subjective side effects ratings. Longer-duration studies are warranted to better understand the impact of TC on food-induced UA response and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects,” Gonzalez and colleagues concluded.¹

REFERENCES

1. Gonzalez DE, Kendra JA, Dickerson BL, et al. Effects of Acute and One-Week Supplementation with Montmorency Tart Cherry Powder on Food-Induced Uremic Response and Markers of Health: A Proof-of-Concept Study. Nutrients. 2024;16(19):3391. Published online October 6, 2024. doi:10.3390/nu16193391

2. Wang, C.; Sun, W.; Dalbeth, N.; Wang, Z.; Wang, X.; Ji, X.; Xue, X.; Han, L.; Cui, L.; Li, X.; et al. Efficacy and safety of tart cherry supplementary citrate mixture on gout patients: A prospective, randomized, controlled study. Arthritis Res. Ther. 2023, 25, 164