Among the best fruits of the summer are cherries! The darker the better. The benefits comes in their wrapping! That being the skin! But the inside has great nutrients as well. I wish they could be grown all year long! Luckily it is available in juice and powdered form. Be aware of the sugar content. Low to no sugar and no additives.

The juice is considered to be the ultimate superfood. The benefits include muscle pain relief, arthritis pain relief, heart health, improved sleep and degenerative disease prevention. The best cherry juice should be from Montmorency tart cherries (prunus cerasus), also called sour cherries, as they are known for their distinctive sour-sweet flavor and unique nutrient profile.

Tart cherries get their deep red color from disease-fighting pheols called anthocyanins, as well as higher amounts of other phenolic compounds and other nutrients. Sour cherries don’t contain the sugar and calories found in sweet cherries. The tart taste indicates the amount of anthocyanins inside. It is the flavanoid compounds that are responsible for the intense red color and health promoting benefits of tart cherries.

Michigan State University researchers found that tart cherries contain the highest concentration of anthocyanins, which help block the cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) that are also the target of common pain meds like aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetamiophen. They found that tart cherries contain 30-40 milligrams of anthocyanins in every 100 gram (3 ounces) of fruit.

Blueberries lack anthocyanins, but keep eating them as they are also packed with good nutrients. Tart cherries beat sweet cherries in the anthocyanin/phenol  department. Delivering more than twice as many per 100 grams (92-47 milligrams in sweet cherries vs. 312 milligrams in tart ones).

Anthocyanins are one of nature’s most potent classes of flavonoids. These powerhouse nutrients are responsible for the deep colors in other berries, fruits, and vegetables.

In a study from scientists at the University of Michigan Health System rats consuming a high fat diet supplemented with either a tart cherry powder (equal to 1% of the calories of their total diet) or the same number of calories from carbohydrates that got the cherry powder gained less weight and less body fat. Wondering why? The anthocyanins in tart cherries activated a molecule that helps rev up fat burning and decreased fat storage.

In the University of Michigan study it was noted that if a human wanted to eat as many tart cherries as the rats did, they would have to consume 1.5 cups every day.

Tart cherries are superior because they provide high levels of some novel anthocyanins that are absent from a number of other anthocyanin-rich foods, such as blueberries. Anthocyanins are the inflammation busters in the juice or whole cherry. Tart cherries are also rich in two other flavonoids – isoqueritrin and queritrin.

A study done in 2001 found that anthocyanins from cherries were as effective as ibuprofen and naproxen as suppressing the COX enzyme associated with inflammation.

Bioactive ingredients in tart cherries inhibit certain enzymes while boosting others, switch-on cancer defenses, balance sugar levels and enhanced primary antioxidants.

This type of cherry also contains melatonin. Known as the “sleep hormone.” Researchers had 7 older adults with insomnia drink 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks, followed by two weeks of no juice, and then two more weeks of drinking a placebo beverage. Take this juice 1 hour before bed. Melatonin helps us fall asleep faster and stay asleep. It balances our circadian rhythms and makes our sleep more restful.

Compared to the placebo, drinking the cherry juice resulted in an average of 84 more minutes of sleep time each night. Another study found drinking the juice significantly increases internal melatonin levels.

Athletes already know about the amazing anti-inflammatory benefits of tart cherry juice, and use it to prevent or relieve muscle soreness after strenuous exercise.

Other studies have been done on how this miracle fruit can lower LDL cholesterol. Drinking this 8 ounce of this juice daily can lower your levels by 17%. Another study found that benefits also help lower serum triglycerides.

To get the health benefits of this superfood, drink either 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice or 2 tablespoons of concentrate (you can dilute it in your water or different natural juice). It is suggested that Montmorency Tart Cherry juice concentrate should start with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon a day.

For arthritis/gout pain relief try 1 teaspoon when pain starts and add another dose after 2 hours until you feel pain relief. Up to 3 teaspoon. Your body will tell you if you are taking enough or too much.

Other research recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that tart cherries rank 14 in the top 50 foods for highest antioxidant content per serving size, surpassing well-known antioxidant stars like red wine, dark chocolate and orange juice.

Quality tart cherry juice is organic, with no added sugars, no additives or high fructose or corn syrup. Make sure you are buying Montmorency tart cherry juice and that it isn’t imported. That might be difficult in some countries, but get the best quality that you can find.

NOTE: Cherries in large quantities can cause intestinal flatulence. Start slow.