If you want to add superfoods to your diet in the new year, Montmorency tart cherries may be perfect for you. These specific tart cherries are great for exercise recovery, they help treat arthritis and gout, and reduce high blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol. The deep red color is your clue to the science-based benefits of Montmorency tart cherries. The vibrant hue is due to the concentration of anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol in the flavonoids family that are anti-inflammatory.
Montmorency are a variety of tart cherries grown in America, primarily on small family farms. Compared to sweet cherries that are typically just eaten fresh during the summer season, Montmorency are available year-round as dried, frozen, canned juice and juice concentrate.
Tart cherries are excellent sources of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Potassium helps keep blood pressure at a healthy level and reduces the risk of stroke. Tart cherries are 20 times richer in vitamin A and 5 times higher in antioxidants than their sweet cherry cousins. Decades of scientific research has shown Montmorency tart cherries are deserving of their superfood reputation.
Here are five reasons to enjoy tart cherries more often:
Sleep
Tart cherries are one of the few food sources of melatonin and have been the focus of multiple sleep studies. Melatonin is the body’s natural sleep chemical and eating more foods that give your body more melatonin then increases your sleep quality.
Exercise recovery
Montmorency cherry juice has become a popular exercise recovery drink for athletes as the cherries contain the compound Anthocyanin. This compound boosts muscle recovery and reduces the body’s inflammatory response to ease joints. Cherries contain much higher levels of Anthocyanin than most other fruits, making them a fantastic exercise resource and a treatment for stiff and swollen joints and overworked muscles.
Arthritis and gout
This same compound, Anthocyanin, has anti-inflammatory properties that help with a number of conditions. People who suffer from arthritis and gout have extremely swollen and stiff joints, so the anti-inflammatory properties of the tart cherries help people who suffer from these conditions. Studies have explored the positive impacts of Montmorency tart cherry juice consumption on gout attacks and arthritis symptoms.
Heart health
Studies have been done that demonstrate eating the Montmorency tart cherries can reduce systolic blood pressure and bad cholesterol. The results of the study concluded that those who drank more tart cherry juice had lower levels of total cholesterol and higher levels of blood sugar. But despite the increased levels of blood sugar, their risk for diabetes didn’t increase. Those who drank the juice had reduced systolic blood pressure levels from “high” to “normal” in just 12 weeks.
Versatility
Montmorency tart cherries are a great sweet option that look and taste great in a pie, but that isn’t the only way to incorporate more tart cherries into your diet. They can easily transition from sweet to savory, adding complex flavors to oatmeal, smoothies, salads, granola bars, trail mix and grain bowls. Start and end your day eating cherries with recipes like Tart Cherry Overnight Oats and Tart Cherry Bedtime Bites. Look for dried U.S.-grown tart cherries at the store and online to enjoy a delicious treat.
Tart Cherry Bedtime Bites
Recipe courtesy of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board
Yield: 12 bites
- 6 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut flakes
- 3/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- In food processor, process dates until broken into pea-sized bits. Add dried tart cherries, coconut flakes, cashews, almond extract and sea salt; process until combined. Form into 12 balls and chill 2 hours.
Tart Cherry Overnight Oats
Recipe courtesy of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board
Servings: 2
- 1 cup dried tart cherries, plus additional for topping (optional)
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, plus additional for topping (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tart cherry concentrate
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- honey, for topping (optional)
- In large jar or container, mix cherries, oats, milk, almonds, cherry concentrate, chia seeds and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Spoon into bowls and enjoy cold or warmed up. Drizzle with honey or sprinkle with extra dried tart cherries and almonds, if desired.
References:
Cherry Industry Administrative Board
Cherry Juice for Arthritis and Gout Relief (verywellhealth.com)
Is Tart Cherry Juice Good for You? Pros and Cons, Nutrition Information, and More (webmd.com)
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