Known as one of nature's super fruits, tart cherries help alleviate the pain of arthritis, a disease that impacts 46 million American adults.

"We have a lot of people who buy cherry concentrate to help with gout and arthritis," says Diane Nelson, owner of Au Naturel, a health food store in Valparaiso. "It really seems to work. We sell so much of it that I have to reorder every week."

Recent research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference from Oregon Health and Science University indicates people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn't.

According to information provided by the Cherry Marketing Institute, the post-exercise benefits of cherries are likely because of the fruit's natural anti-inflammation power -- attributed to antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins, the same ingredient that gives the fruit its bright red color.

Besides cherry concentrate and eating fresh tart cherries, Sunsweet also offers its dried fruit Antioxidant Blend, featuring blueberries, cherries, cranberries and plums. One cup of cherry juice counts as a serving of cherries as does one half cup dried cherries, one cup frozen cherries, or one ounce of cherry juice concentrate. FYI: choosecherries.com