People can get pretty creative with home remedies. One reader has noticed similar recommendations for two completely different conditions: joint pain, and frequent nighttime urination. The question is whether the same remedy will solve two problems at the same time.
Raisin Remedies for Two Problems:
Q. I have heard about taking nine raisins soaked in gin for osteoarthritis. Now I read that eating raisins will help reduce bathroom trips at night.
Can it be the same raisins? Then I can manage two problems at once.
No Research on Raisin Remedies:
A. Both of these approaches are home remedies that many readers have used and appreciated. We have not been able to find any scientific studies on either use for raisins, although some laboratory and animal studies show that grape-derived compounds can reduce inflammation (Journal of Medicinal Food, April 2014; Phytomedicine, Feb. 15, 2014).
One species of grape native to Asia has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries (Phytomedicine, Oct. 1, 2018). Practitioners there have used it to treat edema due to rheumatoid arthritis, liver and kidney problems and a syndrome of frequent, low-volume urination. Doctors call this last symptom “stranguria.” We doubt that it is the underlying problem that gets most readers out of bed multiple times a night, but it might be relevant for some of them.
Using Raisins to Treat Two Problems:
You could try eating some raisins before you brush your teeth at bedtime to see if that reduces nighttime bathroom trips. The tooth-brushing is essential to keep raisin residue from causing tooth decay overnight. This experiment will also allow you to gauge whether you are getting any benefit against joint pain. Unfortunately, we do not know whether there is any practical difference between golden raisins and dark raisins. If someone does a personal n-of-1 experiment, we will be very interested in learning the results.
