Cherries may have pain-relief properties
Prescriptions
Q.Can cherries relieve rheumatoid arthritis pain?
By Amy Tousman RD, CDE
A. Wouldn't it be nice if you could make rheumatoid arthritis
pain disappear by eating a bowl of cherries every day? Scientists
are in the process of unlocking the mysteries of cherries and
learning whether they can provide pain relief.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and disabling disease in
which the body attacks its own tissues, triggering severe
inflammation. Inflammation causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and
loss of function in the joints, muscles, and in severe cases the
organs.
Test tube studies have confirmed weak anti-inflammatory
properties in cherries. A study in rats suggested that cherries
could inhibit hormones that signaled pains. Later, two studies
showed cherries reduced amounts of two substances linked to
inflammation in healthy people.
The human studies have been criticized because they were
partially funded by a cherry industry trade group. Also, they
were designed to study gout, not rheumatoid arthritis. Although
both conditions involve inflammation, they are completely
different. Lastly, the volunteers were healthy. They didn't have
gout, nor did they have rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore it is quite
a stretch to claim that this research shows cherries reduce pain
in rheumatoid arthritis.
The Food and Drug Administration agrees and recently issued
a court order to several cherry companies requiring them to stop
advertising unproven health claims that cherries and cherry
juices reduce rheumatoid arthritis pain. They also must stop
claiming that cherries are 10 times more potent than aspirin or
ibuprofen in relieving arthritic pain, again unproven.
There are no published clinical trials testing cherries in people
who actually have rheumatoid arthritis. However, a small,
unpublished preliminary study completed at Baylor University
Medical Center using participants with RA shows promise. Many
of the participants given cherry extracts experienced pain relief.
A larger study is now in progress.
On the Arthritis Foundation Web site, Dr. James McKoy states
that "drinking or eating cherries may be beneficial for some
people with arthritis." He goes on to say that each person reacts
to treatment in different ways and what works for one person
may not work for the next.
Some people may find cherries appealing because they're
natural and don't have side effects like some prescription
painkillers. While we wait for the scientists to find answers,
there's no harm in trying cherries or cherry juice. Besides, they
are a good source of potassium, vitamin C and other nutrients.
Amy Tousman is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes
educator with Nutrition Unlimited in Kailua. Send your questions
to: Prescriptions, Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110,
Honolulu, HI 96802; islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com; or fax
535-8170.