THE AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF TART CHERRIES

[Guest guest]

I just came in from picking a huge bowl full of organic tart cherries

from the tree, and as I stood there picking, I was thinking of just

how my cells are going to benefit from eating these beautiful tart

cherries. I decided to pull up an article on them and share those

health benefits here:) Lynn

 

Tart Cherry Juice Health Benefits

Research confirms the effectiveness of Cherry Juice

Cherries have been a popular food for centuries, and now research has

demonstrated an amazing array of health benefits derived from a diet

that includes tart cherries. As a recent Newsweek article said " The

day when doctors say—'Take 10 cherries and call me in the morning'—

may not be far off. " The discovery of the health benefits of tart

cherries is part of a larger awareness of the role that diet plays in

our health, and foods that offer specific health benefits are

called " functional foods. "

According to ongoing research, cherries are a rich source of

antioxidants that can help fight cancer and heart disease. In

addition, they contain compounds that help relieve the pain of

arthritis, gout and even headaches.

 

The secret is in the pigments that give cherries their rich red hue.

They belong to a class of natural dyes called anthocyanins. These

compounds are being called " Mother Nature's all-natural chemotherapy

agents. "

 

In addition to the antioxidants, cherries are rich in two important

flavonoids —isoqueritrin and queritrin. According to leading

researchers, queritrin is one of the most potent anticancer agents

ever discovered. Consuming it in foods, such as cherries, is like

unleashing inside your body an entire army of James Bond-type agents

who are adept at neutralizing cancer-causing agents.

 

 

read what the customers have to say...

Flavonoids in Tart Cherries

As more and more interest develops in research labs around the world

to investigate the connection between diet and good health, cherries

continue to get high marks in a variety of areas. This report

describes some interesting findings from Brunswick Laboratories in

Wareham, Massachussetts, about flavonoids in tart cherries.

read more...

Anti-inflammatory Properties

Tart cherries contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds, called

anthocyanins. Research at Michigan State University indicates that

tart cherry compounds are at least 10 times more active than aspirin.

The latest research also shows that anthocyanins do a better job of

protecting artery walls from plaque build up and heart disease than

vitamins C and E.

 

read the research on anthocyanins...

Anti-oxidants

Tart cherries are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds.

Antioxidants are recognized as useful in prevention of cancer,

cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. They may also slow the

aging process.

 

read the research on anti-oxidants...

" Eat Your Colors "

" Many of us have long suspected a deeper purpose - and a greater

genius - encoded in nature's paint box. Now there is research to

prover that the brilliant colors of fruits and vegetables are

themselves powerful nutrients, and they attract us for good reason. "

 

read more...

Melatonin

Melatonin has been definitively shown to have significant anti-

inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, as well as

improving natural sleep patterns. Research at the University of Texas

by world-renowned melatonin expert Dr. Russel J. Reiter, has

demonstrated that tart cherries contain exceptionally high levels of

Melatonin, and it is present in the form most readily utilized by the

body.

 

read more about melatonin...

Perillyl Alcohol

Research at the University of Iowa shows that tart cherries contain

perillyl alcohol (POH), a natural compound that is extremely powerful

in reducing the incidence of all types of cancer. In the study,

perillyl alcohol was found to be up to five times more potent than

the other known cancer-reducing compounds at inducing tumor

regression.

Researchers at Brunswick Laboratories (Wareham, Mass.) verified the

natural antioxidants present in Montmorency tart cherries, the

leading U.S. tart cherry variety. Lead researcher Dr. Boxin Ou also

confirmed the presence of substantial quantities of melatonin. He

also identified two important flavonoids — isoqueritrin and

queritrin — and documented the presence of ellagic acid in cherries.

Ellagic acid is a naturally occurring plant phenolic that is known as

a potent anti-carcinogenic/anti-mutagenic compound. Clinical tests

conducted at the Hollings Cancer Institute at the Medical University

of South Carolina (MUSC) show that ellagic acid may be the most

potent way to prevent cancer. It also may inhibit the growth of

cancer cells, and arrest the growth of cancer in subjects with a

genetic predisposition for the disease. The flavonoids — isqueritrin

and queritrin — act as antioxidants as do the anthocyanins. They work

to eliminate by-products of oxidative stress and thereby slow the

aging process.

 

The benefits of tart cherries, with their high levels of

anthocyanins, perillyl alcohol and melatonin, recently caught the

attention of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), based

in Washington D. C. Because the natural substances found in cherries

have been shown to fight cancer both individually and in concert, the

AICR has begun to fund additional research on the ability of cherries

to work as anti-carcinogens. The AICR recently funded two research

projects both with the intent to identify the cancer-fighting

potential of perillyl alcohol and certain anthocyanins.

 

 

read more...

Tart Cherries and Diabetes

" Perhaps George Washington wouldn't have chopped down his father's

cherry tree if he knew what chemists now know. They have identified a

group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that

could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In early

laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells, the chemicals,

called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent,

according to a peer-reviewed study scheduled to appear in the Jan. 5

issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and

Food Chemistry. ACS is the world's largest scientific society. "

 

read more...

Cherry Grower Survey

Adding to the technical research from MSU is a study conducted by

Wirthlin Worldwide, a national opinion research firm. This study was

a broad-based survey of cherry growers and their families. It showed

that those growers who ate above average amounts of tart cherries had

significantly fewer signs of heart disease and a lower risk of cancer

as compared to the general population. " In order to explore a

correlation between cherry consumption and health benefits, it was

appropriate to interview those most likely to be regular cherry

consumers -- cherry growers, " says Richard D. Kennedy with Wirthlin

Worldwide. More than 350 growers and their families in Michigan, Utah

and Wisconsin responded to the survey, which was conducted during the

winter of 1996-97. The survey showed that the cherry growers who

responded to the survey eat, on average, six pounds of tart cherries

per year, while the average consumer eats about one pound. The grower

survey was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute. "

 

King Orchards is a family owned and operated fruit farm in the heart

of Michigan's cherry-growing region, actively growing over 130 acres

of tart cherries.

 

What about " Black Cherry " Juice I see Advertised?

Many companies are advertising " Black Cherry " juice and some are

suggesting that it is the same or gives the same benefits as tart

cherry juice. You should know that the research about anti-

inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties were all done on Montmorency

tart cherries, grown primarily here in northern Michigan.