Cherry juice is being tested as a new treatment for osteoarthritis. It follows earlier research suggesting that compounds in cherries – particularly tart ones – may reduce inflammation and pain in a similar way to aspirin.

Previous research at Michigan State University found that compounds called anthocyanins, which give tart cherries – sometimes called sour red cherries – their colour, may have anti-inflammatory properties and contain protective antioxidants.

In a new trial, due to start in May at the Philadelphia Medical Centre in the U.S., men and women with osteoarthritis will be given a tart cherry juice drink for six weeks to see if it has an effect on their use of painkillers, and whether it improves their ability to walk.

Blueberries could help prevent one of the most common cancers, a study has found. The berries – already hailed as an anti-ageing ‘superfood’ – contain a compound called a preventative pigment with fewer side effects than commercial preparations.

A U.S. study is the first to show the cancer-fighting potential of pterostilbene – one of the antioxidants in blueberries. It is found in the pigment that gives blueberries their colour and the darker the berry, the higher the concentration of antioxidants.

The findings of the study were released at the March 2007 American Chemical Society meeting in Washington by scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bowel cancer affects around 34,000 Britons each year. Blueberries have also been found to improve short-term memory loss and enhance balance and co-ordination.

Going on a diet is unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss, according to a new study.

Researchers in California found people typically lose between five and 10% of their starting weight during the first six months of a diet. But the study found between a third and two-thirds of people who went on diets regained more weight than they had lost, within four or five years.

The study was carried out by researchers at UCLA, California’s biggest university. The report found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. Sustained weight loss was found in only a small minority of participants, while complete loss regain was found in the majority. Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people.

Researchers analysed 31 long-term studies that followed participants for two to five years. They concluded that most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would have been pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear of losing weight and gaining it all back.