tart cherries

Only 1 out of 10 adults eat enough fruits or vegetables.  The CDC recommends every adult should have 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables.  Our bodies need the essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that fruit and veggies provide.

Do you need to add some fruit to your daily routine?  What about trying Tart Cherry Juice?  There are several recent studies that show that Tart Cherry Juice has some good health benefits.

Sweet cherries while delicious to eat as a snack from the produce section or your grocery or your local farmer’s market are not the same as tart cherries.  Tart cherries (sour cherries) are usually put in pies, dried or pressed into juice.

 

Nutrients found in Tart Cherry Juice:

  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Phosphorus
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Potassium

 

Health Benefits:

Promotes Sleep – increases your body’s production of melatonin.  Melatonin is a molecule that helps regulate sleep.  Adults should get 7 or more hours of sleep per night.

Aids Workout Recovery – Tart cherry juice is high in potassium.  Potassium plays an essential role in our bodies.  Potassium helps with muscle recovery, hydration and helps regulate blood pressure.  1 cup of tart cherry juice can provide 10% of your recommended daily intake of potassium.

Tart cherry juice has also been shown to fight pain the type of pain you would take a NSAID for.  So, if your muscles are sore from a workout reaching for some natural juice versus a pain reliever may be a healthier way to go.

People with gout, joint pain or arthritis may also find some relief by adopting a regular routine of consuming tart cherry juice.

Promotes Anti-Inflammation – Tart cherries and other dark red, purple and blue veggies and fruits contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are antioxidants.  Antioxidants stop or slow cell damage and fight inflammation.

People with gout, joint pain or arthritis may also find some relief by adopting a regular routine of consuming tart cherry juice.

Obesity is also connected to inflammation.  So, tart cherry juice may help fight obesity.

Infection Fighting – We could all use a little assistance fighting infections.  Anthocyanins have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.  These properties can help you fight infections and boost your immune system.

Tart cherries contain flavonoids.  Flavonoids are antioxidants that fight infection and boost your immune system.

 

What type of Tart Cherry Juice should I buy?

Look for 100% tart cherry juice with no sugar or added preservatives.  Many juices are high in sugar and can be harmful if you are diabetic or dealing with obesity.  Fruit contains natural sugars, so watch labels if you are tracking your sugar intake.

If you are taking blood pressure or cholesterol medications you should check with your health care professional to make sure that tart cherry juice will not counteract the benefits of your medication.  It is always good to let your doctor know of any vitamins or supplements that you are taking.

 

Takeaway

At some point as we grew to adulthood most of stop reaching for bananas, apples and carrots for snacking.  We need to make conscious decisions about getting the recommended 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day.

Tart cherry juice can help us get some essential nutrition along with boosting our health in sleep, pain relief and help fighting infections.  More studies are needed to substantiate many of these studies findings.

Tart Cherry Juice could help you meet your daily fruit recommendations and help you in other areas of your health.

 


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *