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Three
New Studies link eating Red to a Healthy
Heart
Tart Cherries may reduce inflammation, Risk
Factors for Heart Disease
Newswise , April 19, 2011--Tart cherries
have a unique combination of powerful
antioxidants that may help reduce risk
factors for heart disease, according to new
research presented at the Experimental
Biology annual meeting in Washington, DC.
In a series of three studies, researchers
from University of Michigan, University of
Arizona and Brunswick labs studied the
antioxidant levels and anti-inflammatory
benefits of tart cherries. They found:
• Reduced Inflammation and Cardiovascular
Risk: Drinking eight ounces of tart cherry
juice daily for four weeks significantly
reduced important markers of inflammation in
a study of 10 overweight or obese adults.
Many of the adults also had lower levels of
uric acid (linked to inflammation and gout)
and triglycerides (linked to heart disease). 1
• Reduced Atherosclerosis and other Heart
Disease Risk: A cherry diet (at 1% of diet
as tart cherry powder) reduced C reactive
protein and other markers of inflammation by
up to 36 percent and lowered levels of total
cholesterol by 26 percent in a five-month
mouse study. The researchers suggest that
there’s an atherosclerosis benefit connected
to both lowering cholesterol, and an
anti-inflammatory effect, specifically in
the blood vessels coming from the heart.
Importantly, the mice eating the cherry
diets had a 65 percent reduction in early
death, likely due to improved cardiovascular
health.2
• Powerful Antioxidants: The heart benefits
and many others may be due to the unique
combination of natural antioxidant compounds
in the “Super Fruit.” About one cup of
freeze-dried tart cherries have an ORAC over
10,000, and contain a diverse combination of
antioxidant compounds and phytochemicals
likely responsible for their health
benefits, according to the researchers.3
The Power of Eating RED
This is the latest in a growing body of
science linking cherries to protection
against heart disease and inflammation.
Previous research from the University of
Michigan revealed that cherry-enriched diets
in animals lowered multiple risk factors for
heart disease, from lowering total blood
cholesterol levels to reducing total body
weight and fat, in particular the “belly
fat” that is most often associated with
heart disease risk .4,5
The University of Michigan researchers,
using a “whole food” approach, also found
the cherry-enriched diets reduced not only
overall body inflammation, but inflammation
at key sites (belly fat, heart) known to
affect heart disease risk in obese, at-risk
rats.6
Researchers attribute the benefits to
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant compounds in
the red fruit called anthocyanins, also
responsible for cherries’ bright red color.
In addition to heart heath benefits,
research also suggests cherries could affect
inflammation related to muscle recovery
post-workout and arthritis.
Available year-round in dried, juice and
frozen form, it’s easy to incorporate the
RED power of cherries into the daily diet to
manage inflammation– from topping dried
cherries in oatmeal to making a heart-smart
smoothie with cherry juice and lowfat
yogurt.
The research was funded by the Cherry
Marketing Institute, which provided an
unrestricted grant to the institutions to
conduct the research and was not directly
involved in the design, conduct or analysis
of the projects. For more information on the
heart health benefits and antioxidant
profile of tart cherries, visit www.choosecherries.com.
###
The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is an
organization funded by North American tart
cherry growers and processors. CMI’s mission
is to increase the demand for tart cherries
through promotion, market expansion, product
development and research. For more
information on the science supporting the
unique health benefits of cherries and for
cherry recipes and menu ideas, visitwww.choosecherries.com.
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