A food, not a drug. The most reproducible effect is faster return of muscle strength and power after hard exercise. Weaker signals cover blood inflammation, endurance, sleep in poor sleepers, and the gout-driving waste product. Most research was industry-funded, juice forms carry a real sugar load, and product strength varies more than thirty-fold between brands. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Serum urate | 3.5–5.5 mg/dL | Primary target of the gout claim |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein | < 0.5 mg/L | The one outcome with moderate-certainty pooled evidence |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Detects the juice sugar load before it becomes clinically visible |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.2% | Three-month average that catches drift a single glucose reading misses |
| Fasting triglycerides | < 80 mg/dL | Rose alongside glucose in the longest juice trial |
| LDL cholesterol | < 80 mg/dL | The lipid fraction that improved in metabolically unhealthy subgroups |
| Home systolic blood pressure | < 120 mmHg | Tests whether the acute pressure effect persists |
| Body mass and waist circumference | Stable, within 1 kg of baseline | Cheapest detector of the added calorie load |
| Creatine kinase | Change from the individual's own post-exercise baseline | Gauges muscle damage in athletes |
| Sleep efficiency (wearable or diary) | > 85% | The sleep endpoint that actually moved in trials |
Cadence: Baseline draw before starting; urate and C-reactive protein rechecked at 6 weeks; fasting glucose, HbA1c and lipids at 12 weeks if using juice or concentrate daily; every 6–12 months thereafter.