Acute Ingestion of Montmorency Tart Cherry Reduces Serum Uric Acid but Has no Impact on High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein or Oxidative Capacity

Tart cherries are particularly high in anthocyanins and are believed to have many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. However, comparison between dosages and formulations are lacking. Forty-eight participants were randomly allocated to one of six experimental treatment groups where they ingested tart cherry or placebo in either juice (240 ml per bottle) or powdered capsule form (480 mg per capsule) once or twice daily for 48 h and markers of inflammation (uric acid (UA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)) and oxidative capacity (plasma oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)) were measured. There was a group x time interaction for UA (p = 0.02), which declined up to 24 h post ingestion for a single capsule dose, up to 8 h for a two capsule dose, and up to 2 h for a single juice dose. There was an increase in UA from 8 h until 48 h post ingestion in a single juice dose. Overall, there was an average 8% decrease in UA. There was no significant change over time in hsCRP (p = 0.64) or ORAC (p = 0.42) or between groups in hsCRP (p = 0.47) or ORAC (p = 0.21). Our data indicates tart cherry ingestion can transiently decrease UA and not maintained with continued supplementation. Additionally, there were differences in formulations and doses indicating a single powdered capsule is most effective for lowering UA suggesting capsules may be used by those who do not enjoy the taste of tart cherry juice. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04497077, 7/29/2020, retrospectively registered.