I had the opportunity to taste a tart cherry juice recently at a restaurant I visited recently with my sister. She placed an order for this juice alongside her meal, at first I’d already badmouthed the drink before it arrived. When our orders came in, she insisted I try it out, voila! I couldn’t hold back the excitement I got and the thirst for more.
After my previous encounter as I would call it, I had to look up the amazing benefit of this new beaut that captivated my interest at the first attempt.
The tart cherry juice is an extract from the fruit of the Prunus cerasus tree, a native to southwest Asia and Europe, and is linked to several surprising health benefits.
What You Never Knew About Tart Cherry Juice
1. Loads of Nutritional Value
Yes! I found out that one glass cup of tart cherry juice is packed with tons of vitamins and nutrients essential for the body.
One serving of the tart cherry juice contains 56 mg of flavonoids, including anthocyanins which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
According to a research, an 8-ounce (240-ml) serving contains 119 calories and the following:
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Vitamin A: 62% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 40% of the RDI
- Manganese: 14% of the RDI
- Potassium: 12% of the RDI
- Copper: 12% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 7% of the RDI
Tart cherry juice also contains smaller amounts of B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, omega-3, and omega-6 fats, in addition to antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds.
Antioxidants help slow down damage to your cells and reduce inflammation. Too much inflammation in the body can lead to diseases like cancer and heart disease.
2. For Better Sleep
Finding it difficult to sleep at night? Tart cherry juice can be a safe and effective way to treat insomnia (inability to sleep) and increase the amount of sleep you get each night.
This is because tart cherries are naturally rich in melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleepiness.
Additionally, tart cherries contain a good amount of tryptophan and anthocyanins, two compounds that may help the body create melatonin and lengthen its effects.
In a randomly controlled study published in the Journal of European Nutrition in 2011, data suggested that the consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate “provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women and might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep.”
In a new study, participants suffering from insomnia drank either 16 ounces (480 ml) of tart cherry juice or the same amount of a placebo juice each day for two weeks. The cherry juice increased sleep time by an average of 85 minutes.
3. Boost Brain Performance
If you have difficulties with cognitive performance, the high antioxidant levels found in tart cherry juice can help improve brain function and reduce symptoms of mild-to-moderate dementia.
Tart cherries and their juice have large amounts of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds that may have protective effects on brain cells.
One recent study shows that consuming 16 ounces (480 ml) of tart cherry juice daily improved antioxidant defenses in healthy older men and women
Another study indicated that older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia consumed either 6.5 ounces (200 ml) of tart cherry juice or a placebo for 12 weeks.
Also, the adults in the cherry group experienced improvements in speech fluency and short-term and long-term memory, although those in the placebo group experienced no improvements.
4. For Strong Immune Defence
Tart cherry juice is rich in a variety of nutrients that can be used to strengthen and defend the immune system.
Tart cherry juice is rich in various vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds that have proven to offer a boost to your immune system.
In particular, researchers believe that tart cherries’ high antioxidant content may help prevent infections.
5. To Boost Strength and Reduce Soreness
Taking tart cherry juice in the days leading up to and immediately following intense physical exercise can reduce muscle strength loss and soreness. It can also help speed up recovery.
This 2010 research from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition, looks at tart cherry juice for pain reduction after long-distance running. The results suggested that, compared to the placebo group, there was a reduction in soreness after drinking tart cherry juice for seven days.
“Overall, tart cherry juice intake in the days leading up to and immediately following intense physical exercise may reduce muscle strength loss and soreness. It may also speed up recovery,” says Mazur. “ There are a lot of studies that have looked at the markers of muscle damage and how tart cherry juice can improve certain biomarkers of muscle damage after exercise.”
Disclaimer: The above information published in this article is solely meant for informational and educational purposes only. The article written/published does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and should not be treated as medical advice.
