"Natural" (plant-based) Health Solutions

Innumeracy + necromancy?

Yes.And if you had a heart attack today it would be unwise to wave a chicken over your head before calling an ambulance.

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"There's no such thing as a superfood." -- a pharmacist I know

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Well over 100 years, you young whipper-sapper. And Coca-Cola had natural (plant-based) cocaine in it too.

I use nothing for arthritic pain and it comes and goes unpredictably. It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that something works.

My sympathies - but my anecdote makes the point that anecdotes can't be trusted.Certainly, diet can relieve some pain, particularly if the pain is caused by poor diet in the first place. That isn't an excuse for jumping to the conclusion that diet can relieve all pain.

You went from gout to arthritis in one paragraph. I'm saying that if cherry juice works for gout there's no reason to think it should work for arthritis. Different disease, different cause, different cure.

Gout is caused by uric acid deposits. My arthritis is caused by injuries when I was young and foolish. Different disease. Even if the same umbrella term can be used, it shouldn't - especially in the context of dietary cures. Cherry juice isn't going to undo the abuse of my joints fifty years ago.

You have to consider the mechanism. Gout is apparently caused by uric acid crystals. It is easy enough to imagine a chemical treatment for a chemical problem but a chemical treatment for a mechanical problem makes less sense.In general, self-medication is a bad idea whether you're using alcohol or over-the-counter drugs or cherry juice.

My question is whether the "natural" treatment actually IS an anti-inflammatory. I'm saying that the cherry juice might have an effect on the uric acid crystals but they're less likely to have an effect on worn/damaged bones. If the cherry juice is effecting the nervous system that causes the pain sensation there might be some validity to it. But until we know what the cherry juice is actually doing, we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that it will help all inflammations.

Again, "could be effective" is not a good enough reason for self-medication. Anecdotes that "seem" to confirm are not good enough reasons for self-medication.Figure out what there is in cherries that causes the improvement. Then eat cherries and other foods that contain the same ingredient(s). Buckets of cherry juice or handfuls of cherry pills are no substitute for real food.

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Although anthocyanins have been shown to have antioxidant properties in vitro,[39] there is no evidence for anthocyanin antioxidant effects in the body after the plant is consumed.[40][41][42] Wikipedia

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Common knowledge is like common sense. Dirt is common too but not very valuable.

Faith said in Message 281 that she's concerned about the sugar content. I always cringe at the idea of using "natural" products in concentrate form or pill form. How much do you have to process it before it ceases to be "natural"?

That's why snakes don't squeak.