next »

[shahrukh]

Osteoarthritis Relief
Other studies suggest that cherries may also help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). Researchers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center say 53 patients with knee OA who consumed two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice daily reported a significant improvement in pain, stiffness, and physical function after six weeks. Each bottle of juice equaled about 45 cherries.

[shahrukh]

Patients lost these gains when they stopped drinking the cherry juice, “so it is alleviating symptoms, not curing disease,” says principal investigator H. Ralph Schumacher, MD. The findings were published in the same Arthritis & Rheumatism journal

Supplement : Cherry pills may also improve OA pain and stiffness. In a pilot study at the Baylor Research Institute in Dallas, Texas, more than half of 20 enrolled patients reported improved pain and function after taking one cherry capsule a day for eight weeks.

[shahrukh]

Each capsule contained 100 milligrams (mg) of anthocyanins. (Three ounces of pitted dark cherries are estimated to contain from 80 to 300 mg of anthocyanins). But in a follow-up study, when patients took two capsules daily, the cherry pills performed no better
than placebo. Until more is known, most researchers are reluctant to recommend a specific cherry regimen. But many agree that for overall



health, and as a possible tool in managing gout and OA pain, a handful of cherries, especially a tart variety such as Montmorency,
or a glass of cherry juice every day may be beneficial.