GRAPE JUICE-PECTIN CURE FOR ARTHRITIS UNPROVEN

In a fitness profile of 84-year-old champion sprinter Bill Weinacht published Feb. 4, the Boca Raton snowbird mentioned a home remedy he uses for arthritis pain. He credited the concoction — Certo and grape juice — for returning him to competition.

Weinacht said last week that he doesn’t rely solely on the home remedy, but also takes glucosamine and chondroitin, available in health food stores. A recent Belgian study published in The Lancet medical journal showed glucosamine could improve the structure of joints damaged by osteoarthritis.

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But so many of you called the paper and contacted Weinacht wanting more information about the grape juice and the pectin remedy that we decided to get some answers for you.

The source of the home remedy could not be determined, but apparently it has been around since at least the 1940s, said Joe Graedon, who writes a syndicated column called The People’s Pharmacy with his wife, Teresa.

The Graedons have published the arthritis pain remedy on their Web site, and also feature it in a new book, The People’s Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, published by St. Martin’s Press.

They offer two recipes. The first calls for taking 2 teaspoons of Certo, a thickening agent used to make jams and jellies, in 3 ounces of grape juice three times a day. As the pain disappears, this can be reduced to 1 teaspoon in juice twice a day.

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The other recipe is simpler: Take 1 tablespoon of Certo in 8 ounces of grape juice once a day.

Certo can be found in the canning section in most grocery stores. It is a soluble fiber derived from the cell walls of fruits including apples, grapefruit, bananas and pears.

Is there any scientific support for the remedy?

“We have to always say there’s no science here, it’s purely people’s experience,” Graedon said.

We couldn’t find any scientific studies that show pectin and grape juice ease arthritis pain. We did find some studies, including one at the University of Florida, that showed grapefruit pectin lowered cholesterol levels.

Some researchers have been interested in pectin as a possible inhibitor of cancers, including prostate cancer, but so far most of the studies have only been done in mice.

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Other small studies have looked at pectin as a dieting aid, giving it with juice for breakfast to make the dieter feel full.

The Graedons heard about the grape-pectin remedy for arthritis pain from readers after they published another home remedy for arthritis: Gin-soaked golden raisins. The recommended dosage is nine raisins per day.

Neither remedy works for everybody, Graedon said. If they do work, it takes time, two weeks to two months to feel results, he said.

Does it have to be purple grape juice?

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s not like we have double-blind placebo-controlled trials. There are no good answers. It’s a case of trial and error. If it works for you, go with it.”

Nancy McVicar can be reached at nmcvicar@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4593.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe