Tart cherry juice has become one of the most popular natural recommendations for joint pain and arthritis, right up there with turmeric and fish oil. The anthocyanins in Montmorency cherries are legitimate anti-inflammatory compounds. But does drinking the juice actually reduce arthritis symptoms? The answer is more complicated than supplement marketing suggests.
Why Tart Cherries Are Interesting
Tart cherries (primarily the Montmorency variety) are unusually rich in anthocyanins — the same class of polyphenols found in blueberries and red wine. These compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in cell and animal studies, specifically inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes (the same targets as ibuprofen and naproxen).
They also contain melatonin, which is why tart cherry juice has a separate evidence base for sleep — but that’s a different post.
What the Clinical Trials Show
The Key Knee OA Study (Schumacher et al., 2013)
The most cited trial is a randomized, double-blind, crossover study of 58 patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren grade II-III), published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage:
- Participants drank tart cherry juice or placebo for 6 weeks, with a washout period, then crossed over
- WOMAC pain scores improved in the cherry group — but they also improved in the placebo group
- The difference between groups was not statistically significant
- CRP levels, walking time, and acetaminophen use were also unaffected
The honest read: Both groups got better, likely due to placebo effects and natural symptom fluctuation. The cherry juice didn’t clearly outperform placebo for OA pain.
Du et al. (2019) — Self-Reported Knee OA
A larger trial (66 adults) randomized participants to 16 oz tart cherry juice or placebo daily for 4 months. This study reported some improvements in joint flexibility and pain, but it relied on self-reported OA (no radiographic confirmation), which weakens the findings.
Inflammation Biomarker Evidence (Stronger)
This is where tart cherry gets more interesting:
- A 2022 meta-analysis (Complementary Therapies in Medicine) of non-exercise RCTs found tart cherry significantly reduced circulating CRP (C-reactive protein), a key inflammatory biomarker.
- A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis (Heliyon) confirmed the CRP finding with moderate certainty (GRADE-assessed) and noted a dose-response relationship — more cherry, lower CRP.
- IL-6 and TNF-α results were less consistent across studies.
The honest read: Tart cherry reliably reduces CRP in trials, which is a real anti-inflammatory signal. But reducing a blood biomarker isn’t the same as reducing joint pain — and the pain trials haven’t clearly shown benefit over placebo.
Gout: A Separate (and Stronger) Case
Tart cherry has a more compelling evidence base for gout specifically, through its effects on uric acid metabolism. Several studies show reduced gout flare frequency with cherry intake. If your interest is gout rather than OA, the evidence is more supportive — but that’s a topic that deserves its own deep dive.
What’s Honestly Supported vs. What’s Overstated
Supported
- Tart cherry anthocyanins have real anti-inflammatory activity (COX inhibition, CRP reduction)
- CRP reduction is replicated across multiple RCTs and meta-analyses with moderate certainty
- Tart cherry is well-tolerated with no significant adverse effects in trials
- For gout, the evidence is stronger and more directly symptom-relevant
Overstated or Unproven
- “Tart cherry juice relieves arthritis pain” — the key knee OA trial did not beat placebo for pain
- Using CRP reduction to claim joint pain relief is a logical leap the data doesn’t fully support
- Most studies are small (under 100 participants) and short-term
- Optimal dose and form (juice vs. concentrate vs. capsule) remain unclear
Practical Guidance
If you want to try tart cherry juice for joint discomfort, it’s a safe bet — it’s food, not a drug, and the worst outcome is you drank some sour juice. A typical study dose is 8-16 oz of tart cherry juice daily or 480 mg of concentrate.
Keep in mind:
- Tart cherry juice is high in sugar (about 25-30g per 8 oz) — consider concentrate or capsules if sugar intake matters
- Look for Montmorency tart cherry specifically — sweet cherries have different anthocyanin profiles
- Don’t replace prescribed arthritis medication with cherry juice
- The anti-inflammatory effect on CRP is real and may provide general health benefit even if joint pain relief isn’t dramatic
The Bottom Line
Tart cherry juice has genuine anti-inflammatory properties, and the CRP-lowering effect is well-supported. But for osteoarthritis pain specifically, the evidence is disappointing — the best-designed trial didn’t beat placebo. It’s a reasonable addition to an anti-inflammatory diet, not a replacement for evidence-based arthritis treatment.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your doctor before changing your arthritis management plan.
Sources
- Nutritional Interventions for Enhancing Sleep Quality: The Role of Diet and Key Nutrients in Regulating Sleep Patterns and Disorders. Food science & nutrition. 2025. PMID: 41356231.
- Effect of tart cherry juice on risk of gout attacks: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ open. 2020. PMID: 32179562.
- Zatloukal J, Brat K, Neumannova K, Volakova E, Hejduk K, Kocova E, et al (2020). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – diagnosis and management of stable disease; a personalized approach to care, using the treatable traits concept based on clinical phenotypes. Position paper of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society. Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. PMID: 33325455.
- Starr RR. (2015). Too little, too late: ineffective regulation of dietary supplements in the United States. Am J Public Health, 105(3):478-485.
- Dwyer JT, et al. (2018). Dietary supplements: regulatory challenges and research resources. Nutrients, 10(1):41.
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