Tart Cherry is a fruit. The fruit and stem of the sour cherry are used to make medicine and food. Of the more than 270 varieties of sour cherry, only a few are important commercially. These include the Montmorency, Richmond, and English morello.
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Uses
- Sour cherry is used for osteoarthritis, muscle pain, exercise-related muscle damage, gout, insomnia, to increase urine production, and to help digestion.
In foods, sour cherries are eaten as a food or flavoring.
In manufacturing, sour cherry is used to make cherry syrup for drugs with an unpleasant taste.
Benefits
- 1. Bolster Your Brain
Tart cherries may be the key to a brighter brain, according to research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, which reports that high levels of antioxidants and anthocyanins (which give tart cherries their bright red color) in tart versus sweet cherries may slow degenerative brain diseases.
In the study, mice with Alzheimer’s symptoms were fed cherry extract, fish oil, and emu oil. Mice running on tart cherry extract performed better on cognitive tests like object recognition than did the control group.
- 2. Reduce Stress from “Wear and Tear” Arthritis
If you feel like you’re living in the body of someone 10-20 years your senior because of the pain and stiffness you suffer after long training sessions, you might benefit from supplementing your diet with tart cherry juice. In a study from Oregon Health and Science University, researchers told patients with osteoarthritis—a type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wears down—to drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks.
- 3. Beat Insomnia
Drinking tart cherry juice twice a day can help you get up to 90 more minutes of sleep each night, according to research from Louisiana State University. In a small study, researchers observed the sleep patterns of 7 adults, then put them on a two-week trial.
- 4. Ease Muscle Pain
You may not need the ibuprofren or ice packs after a grueling run: Tart cherries may be more effective for beating muscle pain, according to a study from Oregon Health and Science University. In the study, researchers found runners who drank cherry juice right after a long run had 23 percent less pain later on than guys who didn’t.
Cautions
- The fruit of the sour cherry is safe for most adults when eaten as food or used as medicine. However, it is not known if sour cherry stems or dietary supplements containing the sour cherry stems are safe.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: The fruit of the sour cherry is safe for pregnant or breast-feeding women when eaten in normal food amounts. However, it is not known if medicinal amounts of sour cherry fruit, sour cherry stems, or dietary supplements containing the sour cherry stems are safe. Stay on the safe side and stick to sour cherry fruit in food amounts.
Interactions
n/a
Other names
Albaluk, Alubalu, Cerasus vulgaris, Cerezo Acido, Cerise, Cerise à Tarte, Cerise Acide, Cerise Acide Rouge, Cerise Aigre, Cerise de Montmorency, Cerise Rouge, Cerisier Acide, Cerisier Aigre, Dwarf Cherry, English Morello, Gilas, Ginjeira, Griotte de Champagne, Griottier, Griottier Acide, Guinda, Guinda Acida, Guindo, Montmorency Cherry, Morello Cherry, Olchi, Pie Cherry, Prunus cerasus, Prunus vulgaris, Red Cherry, Red Sour Cherry, Richmond, Sauerkirsche, Sauerkirschenbaum
References
Source: Mensfitness, http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/5-health-benefits-tart-cherries
Image source: http://www.healthverdict.com/tart-cherry-juice-benefits-on-sleep/