Three Cheers for Cherries..

... as studies show this superfruit may be good medicine.

According to THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION generations of people have reported that cherries help keep painful osteo-arthritis (OA) and gout flares in check. Until recently this was considered old wives tales but recently scientists have started to put these stories to the test….and guess what they have started to show really promising results.

Researchers tested different amounts of several varieties of cherries in almost every form, from juice to pills. And though most studies are small and the findings preliminary, evidence of the benefits of cherries is growing and how they can help in managing Gout and Osteo-arthritis relief!

Gout Management

Boston University .Medical Centre researchers carried out a study on 633 participants. They found that eating at least 10 cherries a day protected people who were suffering with gout from recurrent attacks. The findings were published in a supplement to the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. The study co-author- Hyon, K. Choi "Cherry intake was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of gout flares over a 48-hour period. We extrapolate that cherries will continue to work long-term."

He attributes the positive results to anthocyanins - plant pigments that are believed to have powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Anthocyanins are found in. red and purple fruits, including raspberries and blueberries, but cherries, especially tart cherries, may contain higher levels.

Liquid cherry extract - found in health-food specialty stores- appears to provide the same benefits. In a .retrospective study of 24 patients presented at the 010annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism, researchers at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., saw a 50 percent reduction in flares when gout patients took one tablespoon of tart cherry extract -the equivalent of 45 to 60 cherries – twice a day for four months.

This is definitely a topic worth further investigation, "Dr.Choi says "If cherries prove effective in large trials, they could provide a safe, non-pharmacological option for preventing recurrent gout attacks."

Cherries still missing from the sports nutrition market

On the sports nutrition front, cherries and cherry products may have an application in speeding up post-exercise recovery and improving performance. The American College of Sports Medicine published an article in August 2011 in its journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise which suggested that cherry juice was able to reduce muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise. The researchers stipulated that this effect was due to cherry juice's high antioxidant content attenuating the oxidative damage caused by this type of exercise.

At present, cherry ingredients are not commonly employed as functional ingredients by mainstream sports product manufacturers. For example, GlaxoSmithKline's Lucozade branded sports drinks, despite offering cherry flavour varieties, makes nothing of cherries' potential in the realm of post-exercise muscle recovery. Lucozade Sport Lite Cherry, launched in the UK in August 2011, only contains cherry flavouring, as does Lucozade Body Fuel Drink Cherry.

Cherry juice positioned as a functional product is being left to specialist producers. UK-based CherryActive, founded in 2005, for instance, offers CherryActive Concentrate made from Montmorency cherry juice, available bottled or in pouches. The product is primarily positioned at the sports nutrition market, although the company makes reference to joint health, sleep and other antioxidant-related health benefits. In addition to juice, CherryActive also offers freeze-dried powdered cherries in capsules and dried Montmorency cherries for snacking.

In the future, we should start to see more mainstream products in the sports drinks arena, such as, for example, sports drinks employing a significant proportion of cherry juice in order to appeal to people seeking sports drinks with a more natural positioning. Protein shakes with added cherry powder (from freeze-dried cherries) and snack bars with dried cherries and/or cherry powder are also likely to appeal to consumers interested in sports nutrition products.

Relief for Painful Joints

Fresh cherries are a traditional remedy for alleviating the pain associated with gout and arthritis. Some research has shown that they help the body excrete excess uric acid, which causes gout, and also that certain phytochemicals present in cherries may combat the inflammation responsible for arthritic pain. 

Anti-inflammatory drugs currently constitute the mainstay medical treatment for arthritis management, and consumers are always looking for natural alternatives, enabling them to reduce the amount of medication they are taking, and cherry products may prove to be an ideal and highly palatable adjunct.

Driven by global population ageing, bone and joint health is destined to become an important positioning platform. For the 32 markets covered by Euromonitor International's in-depth health and wellness research, sales of foods and beverages with a prime positioning focus on bone and joint health amounted to US$13.8 billion in 2010.

Oregon Health & Science University presented today 30th MAY 2012 at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference (ACSM)

Tart Cherries May Help Millions Reduce Inflammation to Manage Pain, According to New Research

Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation, especially for the millions of people suffering from debilitating joint pain and arthritis, according to new research from) in San Francisco, California.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.”

Often characterised as “wear and tear” arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Athletes are often at a greater risk for developing the condition, given their excessive joint use that can cause a breakdown in cartilage and lead to pain and injury, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The inflammation benefits could be particularly important for athletes, according to Kuehl’s previous research. In a past study he found that people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn’t.2

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

Sources:

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. Phytomedicine 2001;8:362-369.
3. Seeram NP, Momin RA, Nair MG, Bourquin LD. Cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant cyanidin glycosides in cherries and berries.