Benefit of eating cherries

[Snowmom]

 

I was looking for recipes for cherries and with the recipes it has a lot of other information about cherries.

 

Benefits of eating cherries.

 

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Cherries and C-Reactive Protein

Cherries also may lower inflammation associated with heart disease. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance found in the blood that is a marker for inflammation in the body. High levels of CRP are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and low levels with a low risk. The link between elevated CRP levels and heart disease has been demonstrated repeatedly. There is evidence that CRP may be a more important indicator of heart disease risk than high LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

 

Learn more about the science behind cherries and heart health here.

Cardiovascular / Heart Health

 

Some studies indicate the antioxidants and other compounds in cherries may play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

 

The antioxidants called anthocyanins, which provide cherries with their rich, red color, are a type of phytonutrient known as flavonoids. The anthocyanins in cherries have been shown to lower blood lipids, thus reducing heart disease risk.

 

 

Several studies conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Program showed that tart cherries may help reduce risk factors for heart disease and metabolic syndrome. In these animal study, both lean and at-risk animals experienced lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels on cherry-enriched diets, two key risk factors for heart disease.

 

 

The latest research presented by University of Michigan researchers shows tart cherries may help reduce inflammation, a key risk factor for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As science continues to reveal inflammation may be a marker for many chronic diseases, the researchers say emerging studies like this are important in examining the role diet may play in disease management and prevention.

 

 

“We’re learning how important reducing inflammation is for our overall health and lowering the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes — two of the most critical health epidemics we have in this country today,” said study co-author Dr. Steven F. Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center who also heads the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory, where the study was performed. “This study offers further promise that foods rich in antioxidants, such as cherries, could potentially reduce inflammation and lower disease risk.”

 

 

In this new animal study, both lean and at-risk animals also experienced lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels on the cherry-enriched diet, two other key risk factors for heart disease. The most at-risk animals also reduced their abdominal fat and total fat mass – particularly important given the link between excess abdominal fat and disease.

 

 

For more information on cardiovascular/heart health, visit the American Heart Association Web site at www.americanheart.org

 

Located at:

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/heartHealth.aspx

 

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Arthritis / Inflammation

 

For decades, tart cherries have quietly grown a devoted fan base of arthritis sufferers who routinely consumed the fruit (particularly as juice) to help soothe their symptoms. Today there is a body of research to support the cherry folklore.

 

A growing body of science continues to show that cherry consumption may help relieve arthritis symptoms.

 

A recent study by University of Michigan researchers revealed a cherry-enriched diet reduced inflammation markers in animals by up to 50 percent. Other studies indicate that the anthocyanins in cherries may be beneficial for a range of inflammatory-related conditions, including arthritis.

 

 

 

Studies also suggest antioxidant-rich foods, like cherries, may help reduce levels of nitric oxide, a compound associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

 

Good news for those looking for natural health solutions. In a recent survey most respondents said they’d prefer to eat or drink foods with health promoting properties over medical treatment or dietary supplements. Reducing joint pain and inflammation were among the priority conditions. Also in the survey, 81% of consumers said they’d add more cherries to their daily diet if they knew the health benefits were virtually equal to dietary supplements*.

 

“Arthritis pain can be very debilitating, limiting activity and overall quality of life,” says,” said Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Medicine Nutrition in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. “As a registered dietitian, I like to recommend food as the first solution to good health. Cherries are great because they have these powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are easy and convenient to eat, from topping cereal or creating a smoothie.”

 

Click here to learn why Leslie recommends choosing cherries to as a natural way to manage and alleviate arthritis symptoms.

 

Learn more in the Cherry Nutrition Report.

 

For more information on arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation Web site at www.arthritis.org

 

*Survey of 1,517 adults age 45 and older, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation’s Caravan Services, November 2007, on behalf of the Cherry Marketing Institute.

 

Located at:

 

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/inflammation.aspx

 

 

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A Natural Way to Fight Jet Lag

 

Try adding cherries to your diet.

 

It takes mere seconds to reset our watch to a different time zone after an international flight, but it takes longer for our body’s internal time clocks to adjust. Frequent travelers often stash a bottle of melatonin in their carry-on bag to help fight jet lag, but now they may have a more natural and tasty way to prepare for the trip: cherries.

 

Cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin, a potent antioxidant produced naturally by the body's pineal gland that helps regulate biorhythm and natural sleep patterns. Scientists have found melatonin-rich tart cherries (commonly enjoyed as dried, frozen, juice or concentrate) contain more of this powerful antioxidant than what is normally produced by the body. Eating cherries can be a natural way to boost your body’s melatonin levels to hasten sleep and ease jet lag.

 

According to Russel J. Reiter, PhD, a nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Health and Science Center and one of the world’s leading authorities on melatonin, try eating dried cherries one hour before desired sleep time on the plane. After arrival, consume cherries one hour before desired sleep each night for at least three consecutive evenings.

 

For more information on this “Super Fruit” fighting jet lag click here.

 

What’s more, a new study conducted by Russel J. Reiter, PhD, one of the world's leading authorities on melatonin, found that melatonin may play a role in delaying the effects of aging. Reiter and colleagues at the University of Granada in Spain revealed that melatonin neutralizes the oxidative and inflammation process caused by aging, thereby suggesting that melatonin can slow the aging process. Based on the findings of this study, the authors suggest that daily melatonin intake in humans from the age of 30 or 40 could potentially help delay illnesses related to aging.

 

For tips on how to incorporate more cherries in your routine, click here.

 

Click here for more information on the melatonin power of cherries.

 

Located at:

 

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/sleep.aspx

 

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Other Benefits

 

 

Diabetes

 

 

Some of the compounds in cherries appear to aid in diabetes control and in reducing the complications associated with this disease, including insulin resistance syndrome, or “pre-diabetes, also referred to as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of traits that can greatly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, characterized by abdominal obesity or belly fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.

 

Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States, especially among adults in their mid-30s. The American Heart Association estimates that 50 million American adults have it, and many of them don’t even know it. That’s why metabolic syndrome is frequently called a “silent epidemic.”

 

 

But new research suggests dietary considerations can positively impact type 2 diabetes risk factors. A new study conducted by University of Michigan researchers suggests cherries’ lower inflammation, helping to reduce the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this animal study, at-risk animals with metabolic syndrome (obese, pre-diabetic) and lean, healthy animals were fed a cherry-enriched “Western Diet,” characterized by high fat and moderate carbohydrate – in line with the typical American diet. The study found that in both groups the cherry-enriched diets reduced two known markers of inflammation by 50 percent.

 

 

While inflammation is a normal process the body uses to fight off infection or injury, according to recent science, a chronic state of inflammation could increase the risk for diseases, including type 2 diabetes.

 

 

Researchers suggest the effects are due to cherries’ powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, which provide their deep red color.

 

The animals were fed whole tart cherry powder as 1 percent of the diet. While the amount of cherries used in recent studies could equate to reasonable amounts in a human diet, humans and animals differ substantially in the ability to absorb nutrients like anthocyanins and more research is needed to translate this science into a diet recommendation.

 

Click here for additional information on this new study.

 

 

For more information on diabetes prevention, visit the American Diabetic Association Web site at www.diabetes.org.

 

 

Cancer Prevention

 

 

Emerging research suggests that cherries may have the potential to reduce the risk of certain cancers. A growing number of studies indicate that the anthocyanins, which provide the bright, rich red color in cherries, may help inhibit tumor development and growth of human colon cancer cells.

 

 

Perillyl Alcohol

 

Cherries are rich in a phytonutrient called perillyl alcohol (POH). Numerous studies indicate that POH may help prevent the formation and progression of certain cancers. How POH inhibits the growth of cancer is under investigation, but the evidence suggests that POH may:

 

Help rid the body of carcinogens or interfere with signals that cause cells to divide rapidly

Help revert tumor cells back to normal

Help reduce blood supply to cancer cells, thus starving them for oxygen and nutrition

Click here for more information on the cancer-fighting properties of cherries.

 

For more information on cancer prevention, visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org

 

Located at:

 

 

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/otherBenefits.aspx

 

 

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What is an Antioxidant?

Oxygen is an important component of the air we breathe. We couldn't survive without it. But, oxygen can also be a source of free radicals or unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging.

 

Luckily, antioxidants can counter these damaging free radicals. Thousands of studies spanning decades of research consistently and repeatedly show that maintaining a high antioxidant defense system lowers a person's risk for disease, stimulates the immune system, protects brain neurons from damage, and helps slow the aging process.

 

Oxidative stress associated with disease occurs when oxidative damage exceeds our antioxidant defenses. That antioxidant system depends on the food we eat.

Antioxidants

 

Cherries are packed with powerful antioxidants. In fact, they have among the highest levels of antioxidants – containing about the same as blueberries.

 

The Antioxidant Power of Cherries

Antioxidant strength is measured in Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) units. ORAC measures how many oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb and deactivate. The more oxygen radicals a food absorbs, the higher its ORAC score. The higher the ORAC score, the better a food is at helping our bodies fight diseases like cancer and heart disease.

 

Nutritionists suggest that people consume 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units a day to have an impact on their health. Just one ounce of cherry juice concentrate supplies 3,622 ORAC units, about an entire day's recommendation.

 

Antioxidant Levels of Cherries

 

Cherry Juice Concentrate: 12,800 ORAC units

Dried Cherries: 6,800 ORAC units

Frozen Cherries: 2,033 ORAC units

Canned Cherries: 1,700 ORAC units

The Power of Red -- Anthocyanins

Cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that provide the distinctive red color and may hold the key to the health benefits locked inside. These rich, red pigments that give cherries their color are a type of phytonutrient known as flavonoids, which have been linked to a variety of health benefits.

 

Studies suggest that these powerful pigments possess anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Of the 150 different flavonoids found in plants, anthocyanins appear to have the greatest antioxidant capacity. Cherries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins, containing more than sweet cherries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Anthocyanins 1 and 2 are not found in blueberries. For more detail on the antioxidant power of cherries, click here.

 

For more information on antioxidants, visit the American Dietetic Association Web site at www.eatright.org, Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.com or Cleveland Clinic at www.clevelandclinic.org.

 

Located at:

 

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/antioxidants.aspx

 

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I need to eat lots of cherries, I guess.

 

 

[Momo]

I try to buy fresh ones when they are on sale. If they are too pricy, I buy the dried kind and keep a small ziploc bag of them in my purse. Not only healthy but good for DH if his blood sugar gets too low.

[Snowmom]

 

You know, I'm wondering about the canned cherries for pie, would they be ok to use like you would the fresh ones??

 

I haven't even looked for the dried cherries, so next time I go shopping I'll have to check on them.

 

Momo, if your DH's blood sugar gets to low, how many does it take to bring it back up??

 

I know that oldpine's was really low last week one night before going to bed, it was around 45 or 48 so he drank some orange juice and stayed up for about an hour and checked it again.

 

This was very unusual as his is always so high.

 

Anyway, I had to post about the cherries in here.

 

 

[Momo]

Usually a handful of dried cherries is enough to help him.

 

I would think nutritionally the canned cherries would have most of the "good things" in cherries. However, they would add alot of sugar which is bad. I think there is one brand that is not sweetened, but most brands are in a syrup base.

 

Maybe OldPine had worked hard that day. I know DH gets a bit low if he's been more physically active than usual.