# Gin and raisins for arthritis



## MoonShine (Mar 17, 2003)

So,I read about this arthritis cure in a magazine,and I thought I would pass it along.

Here's exactly what it says,

*If arthritis pain is racking your body,try this remarkable recipe that's safe,natural,and oh-so-effective! Lots of folks swear by it,including radio commentator Paul Harvey.

One box of yellow raisins
A pint of gin

Put the raisins into a bowl,add enough gin to cover them completely and let 'em sit--uncovered--until the liquid is all gone. Transfer gin soaked raisins to a closed container,and eat nine a day for blessed relief.*

What do you think about that? Anyone tried it? May be worth checking out if you suffer from arthritis.


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## annie716 (Oct 4, 2006)

Sounds good to me, if they're anything like the Jack Daniel cherries I wouldn't feel a thing after about the 5th one!!


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## Janette (Sep 4, 2003)

Very interesting. Think it would work for Fibromyalgia? :shrug:


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## veggrower (Jan 13, 2007)

Janette said:


> Very interesting. Think it would work for Fibromyalgia? :shrug:


A pint of gin will cure the pain from anything--especially Tanqueray!

Instead of raisins, however, I prefer to soak olives in a icy cold martini.


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## Earthbound (Feb 3, 2003)

I'm a part time landscaper in the winter and was just talking about this with one of my elderly clients. he said that it has worked miracles with him and that both his wife and his doctor have turned their noses up at this. Last year he was getting pretty slow and i commented on how mobile he was this last week and that is when he told me alout the gin and raisins...???
corry


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I hate gin, though. :shrug:


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

This is one of those home remedies that work for many people. No one seems to know why.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/home_remedies/gin_soaked_raisins_for_arthritis.asp

PS People's Pharmacy is a great site to check out


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## MoonShine (Mar 17, 2003)

moonwolf said:


> I hate gin, though. :shrug:


Maybe you could soak them in beer....wine....bourbon? :baby04: 

All kidding aside,I thought about making some up for my Grandma,as she has arthritis pretty bad.


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## prairiecomforts (May 28, 2006)

I am going to try this. It is worth a shot.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Two shots of gin would probably work twice as well!


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

Do you need to eat all 9 at once or do you spread them out...few in the am, few at noon, etc.

Carrie in SD


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Hmmm, can't stand gin but I love vodka. Maybe I'll try that and report back to y'all. 

~Falcon


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## SeptemberWolf (Aug 23, 2006)

My understanding is that it's some compound in the juniper berries that helps arthritis, so it's the gin that matters, not the raisins, evidently.

The naysayers claim there isn't enough of the healing agent in 9 raisins and the gin to help.


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## MoonShine (Mar 17, 2003)

Everybody that tries it,be sure to report back!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

It is the placebo effect. Endorphins, the body's natural pain killers are released because the patient is expecting relief from pain to result from eating the raisins.

Juniper berries are sometimes used in gout, but I doubt that there is enough juniper in the raisins to do anything.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

I don't know about the rasins but my mom used to drink a jigger of gin every night and never had arthritis(slept real good too)  She said the indians used to steep juniper berries in alcohol and drank it for arthritis. :shrug: I think gin and pineapple juice with a splash of cherry would be better than rasins


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## annie716 (Oct 4, 2006)

chris30523 said:


> I don't know about the rasins but my mom used to drink a jigger of gin every night and never had arthritis(slept real good too)  She said the indians used to steep juniper berries in alcohol and drank it for arthritis. :shrug: I think gin and pineapple juice with a splash of cherry would be better than rasins


I forgot to pick up the raisins tonight so I think I'll try your mom's remedy! The girls I work with said I'd better also try the raisin thing before bed, just in case!  They don't want me to get fired.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

I think all the alcohol would evaporate from the rasins.Might still smell the gin though


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## tamilee (Apr 13, 2005)

MoonShine said:


> So,I read about this arthritis cure in a magazine,and I thought I would pass it along.
> 
> Here's exactly what it says,
> 
> ...


HI;
I admit, i tried this remedy. I put off trying it because I just don't approve of distilled spirits. However, a few weeks ago I awakened with excruciating pain in my hip joints, back and neck, from sheer desperation I tried the remedy. IT WORKS! I have almost 100% relief from the pain. If I tried another round of it, I am sure I would be 100% pain free but as the pain is lessening each day I think I'll forego round 2. 

tamilee


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## jefferson (Nov 11, 2004)

Alternative to above:
one pint of gin, one box raisins.
Place 9 raisins in bowl
Drink Gin
Replace raisins in box.
Repeat...............................................................................
You will feel better soon.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I don't think it is a placebo effect. Although I don't see it working for osteoarthritis, I can see how it could work for rheumatoid arthritis. 

The gin is manufactured with Juniper Berries which, between the distilled grains and juniper berries, could have some healing properties as both a diuretic and anti-viral. The raisins are source of iron, relieves anemia, cleans the blood, and neutralize acids, as well as are known for their ability to aid in fever (anti-inflammatory). 

Combine the 2 and you get a source that takes pressure (from water) against the muscles, anti-inflammatory properties, neutralize excessive acids in the body, etc.

Than again, we also just have to realize that there are some things that heal in a manner we have no idea how or why! It certainly is worth a try and couldn't harm you (unless you have alcoholic tendencies where the just the taste of alcohol will cause you to fall).


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## MoonShine (Mar 17, 2003)

tamilee said:


> HI;
> I admit, i tried this remedy. I put off trying it because I just don't approve of distilled spirits. However, a few weeks ago I awakened with excruciating pain in my hip joints, back and neck, from sheer desperation I tried the remedy. IT WORKS! I have almost 100% relief from the pain. If I tried another round of it, I am sure I would be 100% pain free but as the pain is lessening each day I think I'll forego round 2.
> 
> tamilee


I'm so glad to hear that,Tamilee! I'm really happy that it helped to ease your pain


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

DH does that and he says it works. He said the pain will come back if you quit eating the raisins.


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## prairiedog (Jan 18, 2007)

Well I tried it and the pain and stiffness was a lot less however I developed nosebleeds after a few days and stopped because I thought it might be related. Will expierment again after a few days with no nosebleeds.


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

My father and mother do this. But they don't let the alcohol evaporate - they just cover the raisens with the gin and then put a lid on the jar and let it sit for several days. Then they each eat one tablespoon full a day. They swear by it.

Penny


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

I'd kinda think this is a way to make the gin palatable for the effect of the juniper berries--hide it in raisin 'pills'.

I imagine those raisins are pretty addictive 'candies' though, it might be hard to stop at only 9 of them.

It might be an interesting empirical test to compare pain levels for a week on gin-raisins contrasted to some other juniper berry preparation, compared to raisins alone. An individual could do it as a 'crossover' study--do consecutive weeks, one using each 'treatment'. The hard part would be devising a way to measure your pain levels and functionality in a way that would reduce observer bias--if you like the taste of gin-raisins you might be biased toward reporting your arthritis situation more favorably, even though you're trying to be objective; there's no way to 'blind' the study.

If you guys are up for it you could do that 'study' here on the board over a three week period, with whoever wanted to participate. It wouldn't be 'scientific' since there's no 'blinding' and no 'randomization', but it might convince at least the folk who participate about the usefulness (or lack thereof) of the gin-raisins as opposed to juniper berries themselves.

If you decide to try that I suggest moonshine take point on leading the effort, as this is his 'recipe'.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Personally, I don't think it matters whether it really works or not. If it "works" for someone, regardless of the reason, then it _does_ works. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. 

We have to open up to the fact that AH is a totally different approach and process than traditional medicine. It isn't always scientifically necessary to have a reason for something to work/not to work. You accept what does and move on to another approach (or tweak what your currently doing) if it isn't working.

We also have to always remember that there are some cures that have no reasonable explanation. They work on some but not others. 

Some who find AH confusing, or who are not AH believers, forget that AH is not a one-fits-all method. It is a gradual process of finding what works _specifically for you; and you alone_. It's the most beneficial reason for using AH methods -- your solution is customized to your body, your mentality, your environment; your life style, and your emotional needs. *It's treating the whole "you", not just finding a cure for a problem. * 

So once you can understand and grasp the AH approach, it's very reasonable (and expected) that even something as simple as gin raisins would be a God sent for one; not work on another; or just kind of "helps" someone else. Three totally different people with three totally different bodies, minds, spirits, lifestyles, etc.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Yes, Karen, and I'm suggesting an experiment wherein each individual can try raisins one week, gin-raisins another week, and juniper berries another week, compare the outcomes, and decide if any or all of them help that individual.

As I said, it wouldn't be 'scientific'--you couldn't generalize the results to all people with arthritis. But an organized trial by an individual to find what works for that individual would be an interesting way to find relief, and if a group of people did it all at the same time it would give a little bit of support rather like a weight-watchers group.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

You know, when you're dealing with chronic pain, it doesn't matter if a new 'cure' only works for two weeks and works via the placebo effect--if trying it gave two weeks of one-time relief and did no harm, it was worth it for that two weeks of relief.

I have chronic pain. I hobbled into a rock shop once, and the clerk there believed in crystal healing, which I don't. She gave me a bloodstone and a quartz crystal to try to address my obvious suffering. It was worth it for the two days of relative relief it gave--not because of any magic in the rocks, but because I felt better about humanity that she had tried to help me in the only way available to her. Basically, she gave me emotionally-mediated endorphin help via her intent to be kind. This sort of thing is only temporary since it results from a release of stored 'backlog' of endorphins. But two days is two days, not of freedom from pain but of improved function in activities of daily living.

So kindly don't accuse me of not appreciating alternative medicine. Everything has a mechanism. I don't believe in magic (even if I do 'believe' in M theory).


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

BTW, if some people find relief in one treatment and others in another treatment, to me that would suggest that the fundamental problem is different in those people. If juniper berries helped one person the most, then perhaps they have something in their cartilage metabolism (wild guess) that made them develop the arthritis. Someone helped most by the gin-raisins might have some over-active neurological pain processing going on as well as joint damage, and the trace alcohol (a neurodepressant) from the gin might be just enough to tone-down the activity of the pain nerves. Someone with equal response to gin-raisins and plain raisins might have some kind of sugar-metabolism related problem that contributes to the way their arthritis occurred.

One of the pitfalls of medicine is to look at an end state--like joint damage--and treat just the end state without viewing the mechanism by which someone got there. The 'one size fits all' method of treatment, and then having 'treatment failures', probably means you're treating the wrong thing in the case of those failures. But typically a treatment failure gets blamed on patient 'noncompliance'--'well you must not have taken your medications', rather than 'well doc you must have made the wrong diagnosis or prescribed the wrong drug.'


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

suburbanite said:


> The 'one size fits all' method of treatment, and then having 'treatment failures', probably means you're treating the wrong thing in the case of those failures. But typically a treatment failure gets blamed on patient 'noncompliance'--'well you must not have taken your medications', rather than 'well doc you must have made the wrong diagnosis or prescribed the wrong drug.'


First of all, I wasn't responding to your comments at all. It was just a general post.  

But I will say that the above comment is not how AH methods work. It isn't about treating the wrong thing, failures, not taking meds, wrong diagnosis, etc. It's about an entirely different approach of looking at the entire whole person. It isn't snake oil or because endorphins make it work, etc.; it's a real thing with entirely different reasoning behind why and how it works. 

I've had several seizures today so words are kind of failing me at the moment to explain better; but you yourself said you only look toward AH as preventative medicine rather than as a treatment. Therefore, you don't understand and I don't think there are really words to help you understand and see why people look only toward AH methods. 

We've exchanged PM over issue and I think it would be more conducive to the forum if we let it remain that way.


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Some people recommend eating a handful of yellow raisins every day as preventative maintenance.

RF


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

> We've exchanged PM over issue and I think it would be more conducive to the forum if we let it remain that way.


Karen I'd like to clarify that my comment which you quoted pertains to all treatments not just alternative ones. You have to know what you're treating to find the proper cure.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Well since you seem to want to keep this public. I've already discussed with you what your options are if you disagree with things here. If you stay, your agreeing to approach every single post from an AH position. If you can't do that, then this forum isn't going to be the place for you. I'm really growing weary of arguing with you. Either support the forum, go by the rules and purpose, or find another health forum elsewhere where you will be happier. If you prefer a ban, I can do that too. Enough already and take it private if you have any other comments.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Rocky Fields said:


> Hey.
> 
> Some people recommend eating a handful of yellow raisins every day as preventative maintenance.
> 
> RF


I've read a few articles on that. My thoughts are, it sure couldn't hurt anyway! I've completely switched to golden raisins for cooking, etc. I also put them in our oatmeal every day now too.


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