Once there was a man who had such severe gout, his doctor told him he’d need surgery to remove three toes. They were stiff, bent up, and crippled from the pain of gout, caused by excess uric acid. Before his scheduled surgery, a friend told him the secret to curing gout was cherries.

It figures, my least favorite food, he thought. So he did what he could stomach: he sat down with a spoon and made himself eat cherry pie filling from a can! In only a few days his pain lessened, his toes functioned again, and he cancelled his surgery saving his feet, medical bills, and countless hours of physical therapy. Amazingly, this mighty fruit even in processed, sugary canned form provided the badly needed benefits.

Others have a three fold problem. They have gout and or arthritis and cannot sleep. Cherries, specifically tart or Montmorency cherries, can soothe away all three problems. They contain about the highest amount of disease-fighting antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, vitamins and minerals, ellagic acid, limonene and perillyl alcohol. They also contain some melatonin that encourages relaxation. One blogger wrote that she was finally able to sleep the night through after just a couple days taking the concentrate. Her arthritis was lessened allowing her to sleep even better.

Researchers have found that the components in whole cherries have a synergistic effect to provide even more health benefits. All varieties of cherries contain magnesium, vitamin C, A, E, fiber, beta carotene, potassium (280mg in one glass), iron and folate. It’s the tart ones that pack the biggest punch, especially for immunity.

They aren’t just for the gout and arthritis stricken; cherries relieve inflamed response and provide more energy which is why athletes love them. They can relieve soreness after exercise. The same goes for fibromyalgia pain.

Cherries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins which are the flavonoids that give fruits and vegetables like blueberries, raspberries, beets and cabbage their color. These ward off pain and inflammation, cell damage, cancer, ageing, strokes and heart disease.

Studies have found that tart cherries can reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Quercetin, another antioxidant, helps lower cholesterol and prevents the oxidation of LDL or bad cholesterol. That oxidation can cause the molecules to adhere to the walls of the arteries, causing plaque formation and blockage.

Antioxidant capacity is based off of the oxygen (free radical damage) radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) units per 100 grams.

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

Tart Cherries beat out strawberries & blueberries for antioxidants

Tart cherries can regulate and dissolve the uric acid crystals that build up in the joints. They can repair previous joint damage. Tart cherries also have phenolic components that are important for protection against the loss of nerve cell function, called neurodegeneration.

Cherries are most beneficial eaten whole, but tart cherries are more often taken in capsule,  juice, concentrate, dried form, or cooked and baked. Different kinds of cherry concentrate are available and make a great alternative to soda drinks when added to sparkling water. The drinks are reminiscent of cherry colas and Dr. Pepper. Just be aware of the concentrated sugar content. Although sweet, they actually might help diabetics lower their blood sugar overall. It controls the metabolism of carbohydrates and can keep blood sugar from rising.

So eat some cherries, make a smoothie, bake a pie (with natural sweeteners) and enjoy feeling better. Life should be like a bowl of tart cherries.

~Health Freedoms

Sources:

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-health-benefits-of-cherries-and-tart-cherry-juice-4088749.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Health-Benefits-of-Sweet-and-Tart-Cherries&id=6267208

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/tart-cherry-juice-health-benefits.html

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-17/health/29412896_1_tart-cherries-antioxidant-compounds-heart-disease

http://madamegluten-freevegetarian.blogspot.com/2011/02/health-benefits-of-tart-cherry-juice.html

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