Dried Cherries

Why Antioxidants and Natural Compounds found in Red Tart Cherries are Important.

Antioxidants are compounds found in foods that can help slow down or prevent the oxidation process. There are at least 17 compounds in tart cherries with antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants help prevent or repair damage done to the body's cells by free radicals. Simply put, a free radical is a molecule with a missing electron. An antioxidant, such as vitamin C, vitamin E or beta carotene, may donate one of its electrons to the free radical. If no antioxidants are present, a free radical takes an electron from vital cell structures, damaging the cell.

Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are natural colorants belonging to a group of compounds called the flavonoids. They are widely distributed among fruits, such as cherries, vegetables and flowers. In addition to their colorful characteristics, anthocyanins possess potent antioxidant properties. The antioxidant activities of the anthocyanins may account for the beneficial effects derived from the consumption of fruits and vegetables high in anthocyanins, such as cherries, against cardiovascular and other diseases.

Melatonin

Across the nation, insomniacs are gobbling up melatonin in rapid fashion. The hormone is being touted as a natural way to get a more restful sleep. Richard Wurtman, the inventor who holds the patent covering the use of melatonin for controlling sleep, says that melatonin levels in the body are responsible for controlling the body's daily circadian rhythms. Preliminary research shows that cherries have a high melatonin content.

MSU First to Identify Anthocyanins in Cherries

Researchers at Michian State University were among the first to identify the presence of three powerful anthocyanins in tart cherries. Tart cherries contain anthocyanins and bioflavonoids which inhibit the enzymes Cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and prevent inflammation in the body. Further investigations revealed that daily consumption of tart cherries has the potential to reduce the pain associated with inflammation, arthritis and gout. Many middle-aged and elderly consumers are choosing to drink cherry juice rather than take over-the-counter medications to stave off the pain of arthritis and gout.

"Twenty cherries provide 25 milligrams of anthocyanins, which help to shut down the enzymes that cause tissue inflammation in the first place, so cherries can prevent and treat many kinds of pain," says Muraleedharan Nair, the lead researcher on the cherry project at Michigan State University.