Tart cherry juice has anti-inflammatory properties and may help athletes recover faster from intense exercise.
Tart Cherry Juice Study:
British investigators found that if marathon runners drank tart cherry juice every day for five days before a race, on the day of the race and two days afterwards, their inflammation levels were lower than runners drinking placebo juice.
No Sniffles:
In addition, runners drinking tart cherry juice did not develop upper respiratory tract symptoms such as sniffles or coughs after the race. About half of those on placebo juice did suffer such complications.
The researchers suggest that Montmorency cherry juice may enhance recovery from intense exercise.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, May 11, 2015
This is not the first study to find benefits from tart cherry juice. Many people praise it as a way to avoid the pain of gout. (You can read about that here.)
Some people also find that black cherry juice is a helpful remedy for gout. (Read a story from a cowgirl here.) Eating either black or tart cherries can prevent gout attacks (Arthritis & Rheumatism, Dec., 2012). That is presumable because tart cherry juice can lower uric acid levels.
Animal studies have shown that the red compounds called anthocyanins in the juice of tart cherries have anti-inflammatory activity (Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, Sept.-Oct. 2006). That is why it is not a complete surprise that humans might also have less inflammation when drinking tart cherry juice.
Antioxidant Effects:
Cherries also have measurable antioxidant activity in the body (Plant Foods & Human Nutrition, June, 2014). So it makes a lot of sense to include tart cherry juice in your diet.
If you’d like to hear us discuss the effects of tart cherries with a world-renowned researcher, listen to Show 1079: What Is the Science Behind Fabulous Foods for Health?
