Q. My husband and I take black cherry juice concentrate for arthritis aches and pains. I buy it at the local health food store. We take a teaspoon a day, like cough syrup.
My finger joints are no longer swollen and painful. On those rare days where I still have some discomfort, I just take another dose.
A. Tart cherries, sour cherries and black cherries have all been used to combat inflammation associated with arthritis or gout. Animal studies have shown that the red compounds in cherries (anthocyanins) have anti-inflammatory activity (Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, Sept.-Oct. 2006). Human research from the 1950s suggests that cherries may help both gout and arthritis.
Cherry juice concentrate is more affordable than fresh cherries or juice. It can be added to seltzer water or made into a tea. There are also concentrated cherry capsules or cherry supplement bars.