The Health Benefits Of Tart Cherry Juice

I love cherries. They happen to be one of my favorite fruits, but I had no idea they were also chock full of  wonderful health benefits, at least the tart ones. Montmorency cherries (Prunus Cerasus), most notably used for preserves and pies is full of antioxidants, which some in the medical community claim help slow down the aging process, prevent certain diseases and help neutralize 'free radicals'.

Besides being high in fiber, they also are high in beta carotene, potassium and contain calcium, magnesium, iron, folic acid, Vitamins A, B6, C and E.   And besides being rich in antioxidants,  they also happen to contain natural melatonin, and anthocyanins. Not bad for a small, pitted fruit.

What all this means is that besides being tasty little morsels, tart Montmorency cherries can help with sleep problems (melatonin) and the anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory properties which can help with joint pain from arthritis and gout, and can also help with cardiovascular health. 

For those of us with chronic pain, it's a Godsend. For a long while I had my pain under control with various herbs and supplements, until I was given Procrit for a problem with anemia a few years ago.  The Procrit kicked in the pain and I have struggled ever since trying to find something that will help.  It wasn't until I started to add the tart cherry juice to my old regimen (at the recommendation of my acupuncturist) that I started to feel some relief.  I do notice a difference between the cherry juice concentrate and the pill form, but for travel the supplements are the only alternative. 

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

I use the recommended dosage of 2 tablespoons, which I love to mix with a glass of sparkling water, and drink it a little before bedtime. But I'm not sure the time really matters.  It helps somewhat with my insomnia, but I'm not sure anything would do the trick. It has a yummy sweet/tart taste, so you don't need any sugar.

There are several farms that manufacture the cherry concentrate, but make sure it's the Montmorency juice.  You can order directly from them, or check out the various online resources.  I just ordered two bottles from Amazon because, with the free shipping included, it was cheaper.  A 32 ounce bottle (which should last a month) will run you anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 depending on where you buy it.   It might sound expensive but when you think you get approximately 30 glasses or so of juice out of one bottle, that's less than a can of soda, and far more beneficial.