Hey, haven't you heard? Cherries are the new "it" fruit and can cure everything from gout to arthritis and prevent cancer as well. Oh, you haven't heard that yet? Well, with their new campaign -- focused especially on the Internet community -- the Cherry Marketing Institute hopes we'll all soon be looking at tart cherries in a whole new light.

Studies have shown that there really is something special about tart cherries. They're rich in antioxidants, which are known to fight cancer-causing free radicals. Some studies suggest that cherries -- which are rich in melatonin -- can improve sleep, and others say they've been drinking cherry juice for decades to relieve arthritis and gout as well. Though the CMI calls them the new "superfruit," the FDA warns that claims can not be put on product packaging unless they've been scientifically proven.

For years, tart cherries have been viewed as a dessert food. Even today, as I did a cursory search for cherry recipes, I mostly found recipes with the words "pie" or "cobbler" in the title. (Though I did find this list, which promises a few non-dessert type dishes.) It'll be interesting to see cherries rise through the ranks of nutritious foods and shake off their former fat and sugar filled image. Anyone have a recipe for a cherry smoothie?