This healthy drink will make you
pucker so that you won't drink too much of it.
While we recommend eating the whole fruit because it contains
fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar and reduces the impact on your blood
sugar level, there are some benefits to drinking juice. (Avoid those unhealthy
pseudo juice drinks that are sweetened with added sugars; some of those pack
upwards of 60 grams of sugar.)
Different juices have unique benefits, just as different fruits
do, and there is one sort of juice in particular that has such a wide range of
benefits that we'd argue it's the best juice to drink every day: sour cherry
juice. According to scientific evidence, tart cherry juice has certain benefits
that may benefit you. Read on to find out what they are.
Improve your sports performance
A meta-analysis of ten studies published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that drinking tart cherry juice (or consuming powdered cherry extract) 7 days to 1.5 hours before swimming races, high-intensity cycling, and complete and half marathons increased endurance performance. The researchers attributed the high concentration of anthocyanins in the juice, which are potent antioxidants that reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to muscles.
Tart cherries have also been shown to reduce strength loss and
improve muscle recovery after intense exercise in previous research.
Protect your heart
Potassium is plentiful in bananas, leafy greens, beans, and nuts,
and it helps regulate blood pressure. You can also add sour cherry juice to the
mix. Tart cherries' abundance of nutrients, including polyphenols and
potassium, have been shown in studies to help lower blood pressure and lessen
the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Help you fall asleep.
A swig of tart cherry juice concentrate may encourage the sandman
to visit you if you have insomnia. The potential benefit of tart cherries as a
natural sleep aid has been shown in several research including the elderly who
suffer from insomnia. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle
in humans, is one of the numerous phytochemicals found in tart cherry juice.
Two groups of participants were given sour cherry juice
concentrate, and the other was given a placebo drink in a randomized controlled
trial published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Researchers evaluated
participants' sleep questionnaires and tested their urine samples after this
routine seven days. They discovered that those with higher melatonin in their
urine reported better sleep quality and duration.
Ease your arthritis pain
For four months, researchers had 66 adults with knee arthritis
consume either 16 ounces of tart cherry juice or a placebo drink every day,
then evaluated their pain, stiffness, and plasma biomarkers of cartilage. The
study, published in Current Developments in Nutrition, found that drinking tart
cherry juice regularly improved all of the symptoms of arthritis and the
participants' self-evaluation of quality of life. In other studies, drinking 16
ounces of tart cherry juice for six weeks caused a significant reduction in
C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker.
Protect you from gout
The anti-inflammatory qualities of cherry juice or cherries may
benefit people who experience recurrent flare-ups of gout, a painful form of
arthritis characterized by joint swelling, most commonly in the big toe joint.
Gout is a condition in which the body's excessive uric acid crystallizes and
deposits in the joints, producing inflammation and pain.
Cherry juice, cherries, and cherry extract have been found in several studies to help avoid flare-ups. When compared to when no cherries were consumed, eating cherries or taking the cherry extract for two days was associated with a 35 percent or more reduction in the risk of gout attacks, according to an extensive survey of 633 gout sufferers.