Cherries are stone fruits related to peaches, plums and apricots. They are rich in vitamins C and A, with tart cherries containing more of these nutrients than sweet cherries. Cherries provide dietary fiber and powerful antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals. The anti-inflammatory properties of cherries and cherry juice may help relieve joint pain from arthritis and gout.
Properties
Cherries and fresh cherry juice contain high levels of vitamins C and A as well as fiber and a number of micronutrients. Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants also found in other fruits like bilberries and cranberries. Fresh cherries are ripe for only a very short season, which has made them a treasured seasonal food since ancient times. Practitioners of traditional medicine tout cherries for reduction of pain and inflammation, but historically the scientific studies on this subject have been poorly designed and inconclusive, according to the New York University Langone Medical Center.
Arthritis
Eating fresh Bing cherries may reduce incidences of arthritic inflammation, according to a 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Subjects who ate 45 fresh Bing cherries for breakfast experienced a significant drop in serum uric acid and a small drop in two inflammation markers, nitric oxide and C reactive protein. This anti-inflammatory effect of fresh sweet may help manage and prevent inflammatory diseases like arthritis, the Agricultural Research Service reports. Tart cherry juice has even greater anti-inflammatory properties, according to the Oregon Health and Science University. The skin of sour cherries has the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food, providing effects similar to ibuprofen without some of the dangerous side effects. Oregon researchers demonstrated the effect of tart cherry juice on muscle pain and inflammation in a field study on long-distance runners, but have not documented the specific impact on joint pain.
Gout
Gout is a very painful condition in which uric acid crystals build up in the joints, usually in the toes and feet. This makes the joints swell and become hot and often too sore to walk on. A study reported in 2010 by the European League Against Rheumatism supported a long-standing folk medicine belief that tart cherry juice provides some relief against gout. Unlike prior studies involving eating fresh cherries, cherry juice did not reduce the serum uric acid levels in the study subjects, most of whom experienced a 50% drop in gout attacks during the six-month study. Researchers attribute the positive results to the anti-inflammatory properties of cherries. Subjects were give a tablespoon of cherry juice concentrate twice daily, each dose the equivalent of eating around 50 fresh cherries.
Organic Benefits
Organic produce is higher in vitamin C and lower in nitrates than produce grown by conventional chemical-intensive methods, according to the Iowa State University Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Organic produce also contains less pesticide and other chemical residues than conventionally grown produce. To receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture's approval to label a product such as cherry juice as organic, the manufacturers must obtain all ingredients from producers who meet the strict growing and handling standards of the National Organic Program. Farms and orchards following National Organic Program standards not only produce fruit and vegetables with higher nutrient content, but also benefit the natural environment with enhanced wildlife habitat and less chemical damage to insect populations and aquatic ecosystems. Certified organic cherry juice conveys the health benefits of cherry juice, with the added benefit of being free from agricultural chemicals.
References
- MedPage Today; EULAR: Cherry Juice Seems to Bring Some Gout Relief; Ed Susman; June 22, 2010
- Oregon Health and Science University; Tart Cherry Juice Reduces Muscle Pain and Inflammation; July 2010
- New York University Langone Medical Center: Cherries
- USDA ARS; Got Arthritis? Fresh Cherries May Help; Marcia Wood; May 7, 2004
- Iowa State University Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture: Organic Fruits and Vegetables--Potential Health Benefits and Risks
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Consumption of Bing Sweet Cherries Lowers Circulating Concentrations of Inflammation Markers In Healthy Men and Women; Darshan S. Kelley et al.; April 2006
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