Efficacy of Tart Cherry Juice to Reduce Inflammation

Efficacy of Tart Cherry Juice to Reduce Inflammation Biomarkers among Women with Inflammatory Osteoarthritis (OA) - Research via Macrothink Institute
Copyright © Macrothink Institute   ISSN 2166-1073
Kerry S. Kuehl, Diane L. Elliot, Adriana E. Sleigh, Jennifer L. Smith

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability. OA patients may find relief from the inflammatory component of OA with NSAID use. Tart cherries, high in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may reduce pain and inflammation without the adverse side effects of NSAIDs. This study aimed to assess the effects of tart cherry juice as compared to a placebo cherry drink on serum biomarkers among inflammatory OA subjects.

Methods The design was a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Twenty inflammatory OA subjects (all female; 40-70 yrs) consumed 10.5 oz bottles of tart cherry juice or placebo cherry drink twice daily for 21 consecutive days. Participants assessed level of pain at baseline and after the intervention. Blood samples were collected at baseline and final visit to assess the biomarkers of inflammation: C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TMF-α). Data are reported as mean +/- SD for pre and post serum biomarkers.

Results Subjects on the tart cherry juice showed a statistically significant reduction in the serum biomarker CRP (p<0 .05=".05" b="b">

Conclusions Tart cherry juice may reduce inflammation as measured by certain serum inflammatory biomarkers among women with OA.

References: Kuehl K, Elliot D, Sleigh A, Smith J. Efficacy of Tart Cherry Juice to Reduce Inflammation Biomarkers among Women with Inflammatory Osteoarthritis (OA). (2012) Journal of Food Studies, 1(1), 14-25.

Cherries. A Nutrition Powerhouse

Cherries powerful package of antioxidants and phytonutrients delivers:

Anthocyanins – Unique antioxidants that are responsible for cherries’ deep red color…and for the fruit’s anti-inflammatory benefits. Researchers suggests cherries may work like common pain medications used by athletes to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.

Melatonin – a potent antioxidant that may help improve the body’s natural sleep patterns. Health and wellness experts agree that how long and how well you sleep may impact overall quality of your training.

Other antioxidants – cherries contain at least 17 antioxidants, including powerful antioxidants egallic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol and quercetin, an antioxidant that may help boost immunity…keeping your training schedule on track.

Essential nutrients – cherries are a good source of vitamin A (beta carotene) and also contain fibre. Sports dietician Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D. LDN, CSSD created the Red Recovery Routine to help athletes manage and minimize their pain – no matter what your fitness level.

How Tart Cherries can help battle insomnia

Tart cherries are also a good source of Melatonin. A person’s body produces its own Melatonin in the pineal gland at the base of the brain; however, Mother Nature also produces Melatonin. One great source of this is the tart cherry.

This means that drinking tart cherry juice everyday increases the Melatonin in your body. Why is this good? Melatonin supplements are used to help individuals who suffer from insomnia, helping them to fall asleep, stay asleep, and be well rested in the morning. This Melatonin can be found in dried cherries, frozen cherries, as well as cherry juice. When cherries are taken on a regular basis, it will help regulate a person’s natural sleep cycle as well as improve their quality of sleep.

Go Red Instead to Manage Pain

Along with providing the fruit's bright red colour, the antioxidant compounds in tart cherries – called anthocyanins – have been specifically linked to high antioxidant capacity and reduced inflammation, at levels comparable to some well-known pain medications.3

Previous research on tart cherries and osteoarthritis conducted by researchers at Baylor Research Institute found that a daily dose of tart cherries (as cherry extract) helped reduce osteoarthritis pain by more than 20 percent for the majority of men and women.. And the same compounds linked to cherries' arthritis benefits have now shown promise for athletes and sports recovery to help relieve muscle and joint soreness.

According to Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center for Sports Medicine, Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, who has incorporated tart cherries into the training menu of both her professional athletes and active clients as a natural and easy way to manage pain that also tastes great, "Why not eat red when there's so much science to support the anti-inflammatory benefits of this Super Fruit? And for athletes whose palates prefer the tart-sweet flavour profile of tart cherries, it's the optimal ingredient."

Sources: 1. Sleigh, AE, Kuehl KS, Elliot DL . Efficacy of tart cherry juice to reduce inflammation among patients with osteoarthritis. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting. May 30, 2012.
2. Kuehl KS, Perrier ET, Elliot DL, Chestnutt J. Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2010;7:17-22.
3. Seeram NP, Momin RA, Nair MG, Bourquin LD. Cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant cyanidin glycosides in cherries and berries. Phytomedicine 2001;8:362-369.
4. Cush JJ. Baylor Research Institute, pilot study on tart cherry and osteoarthritis of the knees, 2007.

Tart cherries may help reduce inflammation

Tart cherries may help millions reduce inflammation to manage pain, according to new research- LANSING, Mich., May 30, 2012 – Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation, especially for the millions of Americans suffering from debilitating joint pain and arthritis, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference (ACSM) in San Francisco, Calif.1 In fact, the researchers suggest tart cherries have the "highest anti-inflammatory content of any food" and can help people with osteoarthritis manage their disease.

In a study of twenty women ages 40 to 70 with inflammatory osteoarthritis, the researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice twice daily for three weeks led to significant reductions in important inflammation markers – especially for women who had the highest inflammation levels at the start of the study. "With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said Kerry Kuehl, M.D, Dr.PH., M.S., Oregon Health & Science University, principal study investigator. "I'm intrigued by the potential for a real food to offer such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit – especially for active adults."

What research has been done on tart cherries?

Although anthocyanins, which are also found in blueberries and other purplish-red fruits and vegetables, are known to be powerful antioxidants, no studies have looked at whether cherries--tart or sweet-can relieve symptoms of arthritis, gout, or diabetes outside the lab.

• A small randomised controlled trial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined the effectiveness of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. Fourteen male college students drank 12 fl oz of a cherry juice blend or a placebo, twice per day for eight consecutive days. Strength loss was significantly lower in people taking the cherry juice (4%) compared with the placebo (22%). Pain was also significantly lower in people taking the cherry juice.

• Jill M. Tall, Ph.D., research fellow at Johns Hopkins, was the lead researcher of a study that tested the effectiveness of orally administrated anthocyanins from tart cherries on inflammation-induced pain in rats. The results of the study suggested that tart cherry anthocyanins may have a beneficial role in reducing inflammatory pain.