Tart Cherries: Total Body Health

Want to Sleep better, support joint function, recover faster and feel better….ya I figured that much. It’s quite easy with one of nature’s most perfect foods, tart cherries. Tart cherry is a species of cherry native to Europe and parts of Asia. Tart cherry juice, when taken as a supplement, has a gamut of health and medicinal benefits.Antioxidants: Tart cherries have antioxidants from five different anthocyanins:Nerd Alert: Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoids that have the ability to protect against a myriad of diseases.Anthocyanins are the pigments that give berries, red onions, pomegranates, and grapes their coloring. Anthocyanins not only act as antioxidants that fight free radicals, they offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer benefits.Research from the University of Michigan found that antioxidants from tart cherries are more readily absorbed and keep your bloodstream antioxidants elevated for up to 12 hours after you’ve eaten them.Feel less sore, lift more in the gym! Tart cherries have pain-relieving benefits due to the high antioxidant effect of anthocyanins. Drinking tart cherry juice pre or post workout can speed up muscle recovery time after hitting the gym.Nerd Alert: A study of long distance runners found that daily consumption of tart cherry juice concentrate for 5 days before, during and two days following a marathon resulted in improved strength, decreased inflammation, decreased levels of oxidized lipids and reduced recovery time.**FUN FACT: Tart cherry juice concentrate scored highest of all fruits and vegetables in recently conducted extensive nutraceutical evaluations and ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) testing by Brunswick Laboratories.Drink up to slim down! Tart cherry juice not only reduces muscle soreness, but has also been shown to benefit your metabolism. A study from the Journal of Medicinal Food found that the anthocyanins in tart cherries influence the genes that control the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbs. Tart cherry juice can also improve insulin, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.Sleep better! Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, the brain hormone that regulates the body’s internal clock. Melatonin acts as an antioxidant and helps us sleep soundly at nighttime; Drink up: Replace your sleepy time tea by having an ounce of tart cherry juice mixed with warm water before sleep.Add On: Cherriesare a proven anti-inflammatory and can also help reduce uric acid levels, and have been scientifically shown to help with arthritis and goutTake Action: Take one ounce before bedtime and one ounce post workout to sleep well, recover faster and just generally feel better.