Antioxidants in Montmorency Tart Cherries support Immune System Health!...plus High ORAC and Natural Melatonin Score!

When we think of cherries, the legend of young George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree comes to mind. Actually, the whole cherry tree incident was a story thought up by one of George Washinton's biographers in order to make the biography more interesting and to express a moral; not a historical fact - simply a myth.

Now what about cherries themselves? What about all the stories about their health benefits? Are these also myths? What is the scientific evidence behind the claims?

My most reliable source determining medical credibility is "PubMed" - the internet warehouse of worldwide scientific journals. This site requires all my patience, experience and creativity to sqeeze out any good juice. It can be the pits, and with this, I'll stop using any more puns! Using key words like "Sour cherry", "Montmorency", and "Prunus cerasus" led me down several paths. Some looked at certain illnesses and the responses to tart cherries. Some looked at the specific components found in tart cherries that had health potential. All had me scratching my head, asking myself, "Why didn't I know this before?"

As a recent Newsweek article stated, "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 of foods that offer specific health benefits. Let's look at some of the more interesting findings!

Melatonin has been 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. Most melatonin supplements on the market are not sold in this natural state.

Scientists at Michigan State University were the first to identify the presence of numerous natural compounds in tart cherries with antioxidant properties. In fact, Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity (ORAC) tests show that tart cherry juice contains over four times the amount of antioxidants found in prunes, blueberries and strawberries, and close to ten times that of oranges and grapes!

Anthocyanins are naturally occuring compounds that give fruits, vegetables and plants their vivid pigmentation. Nutritionalists always harp on the importance of eating loud colors! According to the 'Journal of Natural Products', "The antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties of the anthocyanins and cyanidin suggest that consumption of cherries may have the potential to reduce cardiovascular or in humans."*

Proanthocyanins are a group of flavonoids that also show up in red wine. These too, are powerful free radical scavengers and antioxidants. People who follow a "Mediterranean" style diet, which contains anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, have been noted for good health and longevity. Their diets and general health are sometimes referred to as the "French Paradox" because they consume large amounts of saturated fats and yet exhibit low rates of heart disease.

The USDA National Nutrition Database indicates that the tart cherry is higher in vitamin A, beta-carotene, thiamin, and phosphorus than strawberries, blueberries, and apples, and higher in iron and potassium than blueberries and apples. Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation. The vitamin A and beta-carotene levels are astounding...tart cherries have almost 20 times as much vitamin A and beta-carotene as strawberries and blueberries!

"When I logged off the website, and reflected upon the many benefits, it was quite clear that they were a source of wellness that Immunotec had to share with you," admitted Dr. Gutman.

Know Your Health Matters, click here for the Facts!

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*J. Nat. Prod. 1999, 62, 294-296 Antioxidant and Antiinflammatory of Anthocyanins and their Algicon, Cyanidin, from Tart- Cherries, Haibo Wang, Muraleedharan G. Nair, Gale M. Strasburg, Yu-Chen Chang, Alden M. Booren, J. Ian Gray, and David L. DeWitt

Exerps from the Doctor Is In article by Dr. Jimmy Gutman.

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