What Are The Health Benefits Of Drinking Cherry Juice?

Consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and reducing processed foods will help restore the body's natural balance and increase your energy levels. In her book "The Juice Lady's Juicing for High Level Wellness and Vibrant Good Looks," Cherie Calbom M.S. describes how juicing your fruits or vegetables can enable you to derive the benefits of eating numerous portions daily in a time-saving convenient matter.

Arthritis and Gout Relief

According to the Agricultural Research Service website, cherries may help relieve painful symptoms associated with gout and arthritis. Gout is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. This is preceded by urate in blood plasma, therefore investigators closely monitored volunteer's levels of plasma urate before and after eating cherries. Plasma urate was found to decrease significantly during a California investigation in 2003 involving 10 adult women that were given Bing cherries for breakfast.

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Research carried out on laboratory animals at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center has revealed that rats fed a high-fat diet with additional dried cherry powder did not gain as much weight as the rats who did not consume cherries. Their blood levels also revealed less inflammation that has previously been associated with diabetes and heart disease. They additionally had lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides which have been connected to heart disease.

A small pilot study on humans also revealed comparable results. Ten adults who needed to lose weight drank 8 oz. of juice from tart cherries every day for four weeks. They were found to have reduction in inflammation markers and reduced levels of triglycerides.

It is still not proven that cherries can help to prevent heart disease in humans, but original research appears promising.

Fat Prohibitor

The research team at the University of Michigan observed that obese rats that were fed cherry powder did not accumulate such a build up of fat in the belly area as those who were not given cherries.

Natural Muscle Painkiller

Researchers from the University of Vermont found that cherry juice can alleviate muscle pain bought on by exercise. The study observed 14 volunteers. They were required to take fresh cherry juice combined with commercial apple juice for three days before exercising, and to continue drinking it for four days after. Other volunteers were given a mixture without cherry juice. The results revealed there was a large variation of muscle strength loss between the two groups, and the researchers conclude that athletes can benefit significantly and help to reduce pain and strength loss after exercising by drinking cherry juice.