A recent study suggests that high levels of urate in the blood stream can slow the progression of Parkinson's Disease. Urate is a salt derived from uric acid, a natural substance in the body. High levels of urate or uric acid can lead to other conditions, such as gout.

Previous research noted that people with a higher natural level of urate had a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's. For this study, researchers followed 800 people with mild Parkinson's symptoms. Those who had higher levels of urate were about half the risk of their symptoms worsening. At the end of the study, none of the patients with naturally high urate levels required other medications to control the Parkinson's yet.

A nutritional supplement called inosine converts to urate once it's ingested, but further study is necessary to determine whether the supplement could be helpful for Parkinson's patients.

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Gout is a painful condition caused by inflammation due to a build-up of uric acid on the joints. It frequently affects the big toe, but can affect nearly any joint such as ankles, fingers, or knees. Diet and alcohol can trigger a gout attack, but a recent study reveals that genetics can also play a role.

Researchers found a gene variation which makes it harder for the body to properly remove uric acid from the bloodstream. The finding could have a big impact on diagnosis and treatment for gout. And, it can help gout patients who eat right and refrain from drinking pinpoint a reason they developed the condition.

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As if there weren't enough reasons to stay away from soft drinks, here's another one. Researchers recently said that normal soft drinks containing too much sugar can end up increasing serum uric acid levels. What does that lead to? An increase in the risk of developing gout, that's what. Gout is not only dangerous, but extremely painful.

Although the chemicals and artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks are no better than the refined sugars in normal soft drinks, in this case diet drinks win. Since sugar is not present in most diet soft drinks, gout of not a concern.

When gout happens, too much uric acid (caused by the breakdown of sugars from soft drinks) causes painful crystals to develop in the joints. Underexcretion (not peeing enough) also contributes to the condition.

Want a great New Year's resolution? Start dropping soft drinks from your daily regimen starting now.

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A new study finds men can gut their risk of gout, a common kind of arthritis, by half if they drink four or more cups of coffee a day.

Within the first 12 years of the study, 757 of the 45,000 men were diagnosed with gout -- "considered one of the worst types of pain that human beings can experience," according to professor involved with the research. When they subsequently assessed the data -- comparing the dietary habits of men who were and were not diagnosed with the illness -- researchers were able to conclude that participants who regularly drank 4 cups of coffee per day lowered their risk of gout by 40%, while men who drank 6 cups lowered their risk by 60%.

The reason coffee had such a profound effect isn't entirely clear. Caffeine doesn't seem to responsible, as decaffeinated coffee had a similar effect to regular coffee. Scientists suspect, however, that an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid may be the source of the beverage's protective qualities.

Researchers hope, that with this information, they can create a drug that would replicate these health benefits.

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Hey, haven't you heard? Cherries are the new "it" fruit and can cure everything from gout to arthritis and prevent cancer as well. Oh, you haven't heard that yet? Well, with their new campaign -- focused especially on the Internet community -- the Cherry Marketing Institute hopes we'll all soon be looking at tart cherries in a whole new light.

Studies have shown that there really is something special about tart cherries. They're rich in antioxidants, which are known to fight cancer-causing free radicals. Some studies suggest that cherries -- which are rich in melatonin -- can improve sleep, and others say they've been drinking cherry juice for decades to relieve arthritis and gout as well. Though the CMI calls them the new "superfruit," the FDA warns that claims can not be put on product packaging unless they've been scientifically proven.

For years, tart cherries have been viewed as a dessert food. Even today, as I did a cursory search for cherry recipes, I mostly found recipes with the words "pie" or "cobbler" in the title. (Though I did find this list, which promises a few non-dessert type dishes.) It'll be interesting to see cherries rise through the ranks of nutritious foods and shake off their former fat and sugar filled image. Anyone have a recipe for a cherry smoothie?

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