Tart Cherry Juice Health Benefits

Tart cherry is a fleshy, sour, and smooth drupe fruit having a single seed and a weak groove. This fruit is native to the Northern Hemisphere and grows well in a temperate climate. It comes from the family Rosaceae and the genus Prunus and also shares some characteristics with peaches, almonds, apricots, and plums.

The extracted juice is well-preserved, undergoes state-of-the-art microfiltration, and is then concentrated into a thick syrup that is chilled immediately to maintain its fruity freshness. This concentrate is then distributed as a fruit juice, or injected into gel caps for easy consumption.

Tart cherry is low in calories and natural sugar and contains vital nutrients, which are conducive to health. There are many benefits of using a concentrate of tart cherry juice, some of which are as follows:

• It is rich in fiber, potassium, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. One-fourth cup of dried tart cherries contains 15% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fiber. This juice is also rich in essential body nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamins A, C, B6, E, and folic acid.

• This juice is low in saturated fats and cholesterol, and high in fiber. This helps reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart problems, and digestive disorders.
• It is rich in antioxidants essential for battling harmful free radicals or unstable molecules. These radicals cause cell damage in human body and may lead to cancer or atherosclerosis.

• Concentrated cherry juice is a rich source of melatonin, a potent antioxidant, produced naturally by the body's pineal gland. This antioxidant helps regulate biorhythm and natural sleep patterns. In fact, research indicates that only a handful of cherries contain more melatonin than what is usually found in the blood.

• It contains a compound called anthocyanin, a natural colorant belonging to a group of compounds called the flavonoids. Along with its coloring characteristics, it also possesses potent antioxidant properties, which help fight colon cancer, stroke risk, and heart attacks. Anthocyanin also relieves the body from inflammation and slows down the aging process.

• It has the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) values when compared to other fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to have 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day to have a good impact on health.

• It comprises a class of compounds called superoxide dismutase (SOD), which are strong enzymes and cellular antioxidants. This concentrated juice acts as a scavenger of superoxide anions by searching and destroying them in our body.

• This concentrate acts as an excellent remedy for relieving pain caused by arthritis compared to other pain-relieving equivalents, like aspirin or ibuprofen. Its anti-inflammatory properties help in relieving symptoms of chronic arthritis. Up to a certain extent, it provides free movement in arthritis affected joints.

In order to ensure that you get all the benefits of tart cherry juice, always buy a brand with no preservatives or containing other fruit juices in it. Its regular consumption will eventually help you reap the various health benefits of this amazing fruit.