Tart cherry juice can be a tasty and positive addition to a healthy diet’s important to make sure the product doesn’t contain sugar, and that it is 100 percent made of cherries.
Why tart cherry juice? This super drink is full of antioxidants and possesses anti-inflammatory properties which makes it healthy for everyone. Tart cherry juice is rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, omega-3, and omega-6 fats, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds. Compared to sweet cherry varieties, tart cherries contain 20 times more vitamin A, and their antioxidant levels are much higher. So, how can tart cherry juice influence your body?
1. It can help improve your sleep
Tart cherries are excellent sources of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates our sleep. It rises when the level of light is low ( in the evening and night) and falls when the level of light is high.
According to experts, the combination of melatonin and the anthocyanins found in cherries can help us sleep better. One study has shown that adults who consumed two cups of tart cherry juice each day for a week slept about 40 minutes longer on average, compared to those who drank another beverage.
2. It can be helpful in osteoarthritis pain management
According to one study in which participants drank 10.5-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice twice a day for a month, this drink significantly reduced serum biomarkers of inflammation. This means tart cherry juice can help lower inflammation in people who suffer from inflammatory conditions like arthritis and diabetes.
Scientists suggest that drinking tart cherry juice might be helpful in osteoarthritis pain management. Another study showed that tart cherry juice helped improve pain, stiffness, and physical function in patients with osteoarthritis and gout. Plus, the consumption of tart cherry juice is able to lower blood levels of uric acid. If the body has a too high concentration of uric acid, a person will develop gout.
3. It’s able to improve heart health
Scientists think that tart cherries have a lot of health benefits for the heart since they contain a high amount of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are a pigment contained in plants and are a type of flavonoid. Flavonoids, in turn, possess powerful antioxidant effects.
According to various studies, anthocyanins are able to decrease bad cholesterol levels, lower overall inflammation, and reduce the percentage of belly fat. In fact, all these factors significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
According to a University of Delaware study, older adults who consumed tart cherry juice had decreased blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) also called “bad” cholesterol.
4. It can help your muscles recover faster after workouts
As mentioned above, tart cherry juice has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which means it can help recover muscles faster after workouts.
One study found that cyclists who consumed tart cherry juice experienced less muscle soreness, inflammation, and oxidative stress compared to those who didn’t drink tart cherry juice.
