Abstract / Summary
Tart cherry products have been proposed to lower serum uric acid and reduce gout risk, but clinical findings are inconsistent. This study evaluated the effect of tart cherry intake on serum uric acid concentration and explored possible mechanisms. Randomized controlled trials comparing tart cherry intake with placebo or usual diet and reporting serum uric acid concentration were identified from electronic databases. A random effects meta analysis was used to pool standardized mean differences between groups. In parallel, bioactive compounds in tart cherry were retrieved from public databases, and their potential targets related to serum uric acid and gout were investigated using network based analyses and molecular docking. Four randomized trials (eight comparisons; 392 participants) were included. Tart cherry intake was associated with a modest reduction in serum uric acid concentration compared with control (standardized mean difference -0.22; 95% confidence interval -0.43 to -0.01), with substantial heterogeneity. Network and docking analyses suggested that anthocyanins and other polyphenols may act on inflammatory, oxidative stress and metabolic pathways. Tart cherry intake may modestly lower serum uric acid concentration, but evidence is limited in quantity and consistency. Larger, rigorously designed randomized trials are needed.
Primary Source
Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition
Ask Prognia AI
Have questions about this meta-analysis?
Prognia AI can search this source alongside 35M+ PubMed papers and current ESC, AHA, NICE, and ADA guidelines to give you a fully cited clinical answer.