Delightful and delicious, cherries can brighten a meal any time of day. Besides appeasing your taste buds, however, these berries also provide an impressive load of nutrients, ranging from cancer-fighting antioxidants to health-promoting vitamins. If you are not able to consume large amounts of fresh or frozen berries for full nutritional support, tart cherry vitamin supplements may provide a convenient solution for reaping the benefits of these healthful fruit on the go and without breaking the bank.
Antioxidant Power
You may have wondered what gives tart cherries their distinct burgundy color. The answer is anthocyanins. These compounds are not for decoration, however. They are powerful phytonutrients, and an abundance of them places tart cherries in the coveted category of "superfruit."
Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that fight free radicals and protect your body from cellular damage and disease. Vitamin supplements often contain concentrated amounts of these beneficial molecules. Due to variations in formulations, consult a medical professional prior to starting any new nutritional supplement or vitamin complex.
Cancer-Fighting Properties
A wide body of research shows that antioxidants may prevent cancer. Scientific data summarized by the Cherry Marketing Institute indicates that cherry-derived anthocyanins inhibit development of colon cancer in human cell lines and mice.
The institute adds that another phytonutrient abundant in tart cherries, perillyl alcohol, helps fight leukemia, glioblastoma and breast cancer progression in cell lines and animal models. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings in humans.
Anti-Inflammation Properties
Several studies suggest that tart cherries may alleviate inflammation resulting from arthritis and gout. Dr. Nathan Wei, writing on Arthritis-Treatment-and-Relief.com a 2004 study from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in California, which found that adult women who consumed tart cherries had reduced inflammation indicators in their blood.
According to the Cherry Marketing Institute, a 2006 clinical study from University of California has also shown that eating cherries may reduce atherosclerosis-related inflammation in adult men and women.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Tart cherries' high phytonutrient, antioxidant and vitamin content is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Dr. Alice Jo Rainville states on MI-Cherries.com that tart cherries contain 19 times more beta carotine and Vitamin A than blueberries, and notes that these nutrients play an important role in heart disease prevention.
Several studies have also shown that cherry-derived anthocyanins play a vital role in reducing blood lipids and protecting arteries against oxidative damage in animal models. Whether these benefits translate to humans remains to be seen.
Pain Relief
The Cherry Marketing Institute states that cherry-derived anthocyanins 1 and 2 help to inhibit human enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, which may aid in pain relief. As these studies were conducted in vitro, additional research must be done to establish a direct link between anthocyanins and pain relief in humans.
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