Q. Can cherries relieve rheumatoid arthritis pain?

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 However, a small, unpublished preliminary study completed at Baylor University Medical Center using participants with RA shows promise.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.