As Rush says, "Follow the money." Someone is losing money whenever a natural health remedy is promoted. Find out who it is and you've got your answer.
"On October 17, 2005, letters went out from the Food and Drug Administration warning cherry purveyors that they had better quit telling people that cherries have health benefits or dire things are going to happen."
THEY DO, you FDA people. I don't remember the exact benefits of cherries, according to my long ago nutrition class, but they certainly taste good, and that's at least one health benefit. As is quite obvious here, the FDA's concern is that we buy more of their prescribed drugs, and thereby allow them to pocket more money. After all, they can patent their silly drugs, but they cannot patent those food items that are naturally grown. Dire consequences? They are like the ones the spineless media puts forth. Attack, attack attack. Just shut up the opposition, by using any method that works...