Cherries are great for more than pies and sundaes…many studies reveal that the right kind have been shown to decrease pain and also inflammation markers for people who have arthritis. But you have to pick the right cherries.

Leave the sweet cherries for the decadent desserts. Only the tart varieties contain the good stuff for fighting inflammation.

In two studies, one following runners and another following women with inflammatory osteoarthritis (the most common form), the results were nearly identical…that pain and inflammation plummeted when participants drank tart cherry juice.

In one, women with arthritis drank the juice twice a day for two weeks. In the other, runners drank it before running. In both studies, participants were shown to have less pain, and inflammatory markers decreased significantly.

Tart cherries are found in most grocery stores, and the juice and extract can be found in health food stores. Stay away from cherry “drinks” or “cherry cocktails” as they typically only include sweet cherries- but are more corn syrup than cherry juice anyway.

Natural methods to stop arthritis in its tracks…