Tart Cherry Juice—Nature’s Miracle For Gout, Inflammation, Sleep, Heart Health
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Five years ago, my husband began to have pain and redness in the big toe on his left foot. It came on quickly, and within a day he could not tolerate a shoe or even a sock on his foot. Of course, it was a Sunday, so I couldn’t get him into the doctor. That turned out to be a blessing!
I remember we were sitting outside enjoying a beautiful Spring day. Well, I was enjoying it, but he was in such pain that I think if it had been a blizzard he might not have noticed.
Trying to decide how I could help, I Googled “gout” and quickly found a simple remedy.
I was suspicious, but what did I have to lose? I told him I’d be right back, and I drove to Whole Foods, which was only about two miles away. Upon entering, I asked a clerk to point me in the direction of their juices. “I think my husband has gout; I read that tart cherry juice may help.”
She smiled and led me to their supplement section, not the juice aisle.
“We have lots of people who take this for gout. They buy the tart cherry juice concentrate, though, not the regular tart cherry juice.”
It was about $16. a bottle as I remember it, far less than the co-pay at the doctor’s office. And what a wise investment it was!
I raced home and triumphantly poured my husband a little glass of the deep red liquid. He was skeptical, to say the least.
“This is what you think is going to cure me? I need a prescription, not a glass of juice!”
I urged him to drink it, and I could see from the look on his face that it lived up to its reputation: it was tart!
We were not sure how much to drink, but I kept nagging him to take small sips, and he did.
Within an hour the pain began to lessen. He was a bit keener then, and he continued to sip all afternoon.
By the next day he was completely pain-free. He has never had an attack again. The tart cherry juice had done the trick!
What are the health benefits of tart cherry juice?
The list of health benefits is long. Research has shown that tart cherries, and their juice, have nearly 4x the anti-oxidant capacity as blueberries. They also contain melatonin, which we need for sleep, and flavones, which help our hearts stay healthy.
Here is the short list of the benefits of tart cherry juice:
- Helps with gout
- Pain relief
- Anti-inflammatory
- Natural sleep aid
- Slows aging
- Anti-oxidant
- Promotes heart health
- Improves brain health
- Metabolic aid
Add to that list that researchers are showing evidence that tart cherry juice may also help prevent certain cancers, diabetes, strokes, and help prevent cataracts.
One of the primary studies was done by the University of Michigan, which studied Montmorency tart cherries, grown in Michigan. Other studies include those carried out by the University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Rochester, to name a few. All concluded that tart cherries are a powerful source of anti-oxidants and contain many healthful benefits.
A Pain-Free Life
If you suffer from pain, your quality of life is diminished. Often we are faced with the dilemma of having to choose between living with the pain or taking powerful and often harmful drugs to ease our chronic discomfort.
Tart red cherry juice has proven to be ten times more effective than aspirin in reducing pain from inflammation, especially in cases of arthritis and gout but also pain from common causes such as headache and muscle ache. The good news is that this ‘miracle juice’ does not come with the side effects, including possible stomach and kidney damage, that aspirin can cause.
Anyone who takes a prescription medicine knows that the side effects can be staggering. Anytime we can avoid harming our bodies, it seems like common sense to do so.
Insomnia
More and more of us are struggling with a lack of sleep. Some of us can’t fall asleep; others fall asleep easily but cannot stay asleep. Risk of suffering from insomnia increases as we age. More than 60 million prescriptions for sleep aids were filled in the US alone last year!
What if there was a natural way to improve the quality of our sleep?
Melatonin is the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. The more melatonin, the better we sleep. Studies are proving that as little as one ounce of tart cherry juice, taken twice a day, can increase our melatonin levels, thus improving both the quality and duration of our sleep.
And with none of the side effects of prescription drugs!
When you take your evening dosage is a bit tricky. Some studies suggest taking a sip about three hours prior to your usual bedtime, which other studies have shown that a dose right before tucking in will work just as well. Try one method, then another, to see what works best for you.
Why Is Tart Cherry Juice so Good for You?
Free radicals will run rampant in our bodies if left to their own devices, attacking our cells, our protein, and even our DNA. Research has proven that many conditions, including aging, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers can be at least partly blamed on damage from free radicals.
Anti-oxidants are the agents that guard against free radicals and attack them in our bodies. Nutritional experts estimate that we need 3000-5000 ORAC units per day to maintain good health. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and measures the ability of foods to absorb and deactivate free radicals.
Many foods will help in the fight, but certain foods are known for their higher levels of ORAC. Blueberries, for instance, have long been touted as having high levels, at 3000 per serving.
Now, though, it has been proven that tart cherry juice concentrate is at the top of the list at a whopping 12,800 per serving of 2 tablespoons! This amazing juice is at the forefront in fighting the free radicals that are present in all of us, and we would do well to add it to our daily routine.
It is rich in potassium, for those who may be lacking this important substance in their diets. (Not all of us like bananas!) Its anthocyanins, which inhibit the same enzyme as aspirin but without the side effects, have proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Its flavones help to lower blood pressure and improve both blood flow and brain health. Researchers have shown that it helps reduce both triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. It helps to strengthen collagen structures in connective tissues, supporting joint integrity, movement, and flexibility. In fact, its anti-oxidant ability has been found to be superior to that of vitamins C and E.
Disclaimer
Although we are not nutritional experts nor doctors, we feel that tart cherry juice should be a part of one’s daily regimen. However, any new food introduced into the diet should be approved by one’s physician.
As mentioned, tart cherry juice is high in potassium, and for those who must reduce potassium from their diets, it should be avoided. Also, it can be high in calories and those calories must be considered for anyone on a diet. (Two tablespoons contain 40 calories).
Conclusion Although “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” according to folklore, perhaps that should be amended to “a sip of tart cherry juice concentrate a day keeps the free radicals away.” It may not have quite the lilt of the old saying, but tart cherry juice packs a heck of a health punch!
