I decided for my first nutrition post to talk about tart cherries. Tart cherry is a fruit I incorporate in my life every day day. I have noticed a huge difference in my sleep quality and duration. Not only is it proven to improve sleep, it has numerous health benefits!
the benefits of tart cherries.
Sleep Aid: Your body produces the hormone, Melatonin, which signals the circadian rhythm to get ready to sleep. Tart cherries can help balance the circadian rhythm because they contain high levels of phytochemicals like melatonin. Having higher levels of melatonin may be an effective solution for inadequate sleep and insomnia. It may improve the overall duration and improve sleep quality.
I noticed a massive difference in my sleep quality when I incorporated tart cherry into my nighttime routine. My sleep cycle as a flight attendant was a MESS. I struggled with falling asleep, staying asleep, and feeling energized throughout the day from being an on call flight attendant. Typical trips included working transcontinental red eyes, being in Boston one night, and San Francisco the next. With a demanding work schedule that varied, I really struggled in the sleep department. Tart cherry honestly saved me, as I was struggling tremendously to get adequate sleep.
Tart cherries may help promote increased sleep duration and higher quality of sleep.
Powerful Antioxidant: Ellagic Acid is an antioxidant that has the potential to inhibit the production of lipopolysaccharides in your body. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an endotoxin derived from the outer membrane of bacteria. It is one of the most abundant pro-inflammatory stimuli in the gastrointestinal tract. Ellagic acid has been proven to lower the levels of lipopolysaccharides AKA inflammation in the body.
Gout & Arthritis: Gout is a common form of arthritis. It consists of sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, and tenderness in the joints. Tart cherry has been proven to strongly associate with reducing levels of inflammation and this may help with people who suffer from gout. Tart cherries help reduce the level of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is directly correlated with gout. Thus, tart cherries have been proven to show a significant decrease in gout attacks.
Heart Health: Anthocyanin is a flavonoid (group of plant metabolites) found in berries that has been shown to improve low-density lipoprotein oxidation which supports cardiovascular health. Lets’ face it. Living in a western diet increases heart attack risk. Over 600,000 American die a year from heart disease.
Anthocyanins have been used to that a number of conditions involving blood vessel health like high blood pressure and chronic venous insufficiency.
Deeply pigmented fruits have many antioxidants and cherries are one of the highest sources of antioxidant power.
how to add it to your diet.
You can add tart cherry concentrate into your every day diet. It is extremely easy to add the concentrate with water or in a smoothie/ shake before bedtime. You can find tart cherry concentrate at most health/ food stores in your area. It is fairly inexpensive and an easy add in.
the product I use.
I use Purium’s Apothe-Cherry. I have been using their tart cherry for over 9 months now and like I said, I have noticed an enormous difference in my sleep. Purium’s Apothe-Cherry is an extract that condenses the nutritional potency of approximately 30 sour/ tart cherries into 1 oz of concentrate. The only ingredient is sour/ tart cherry extract. It is gluten-free, vegan and Non-GMO project verified.
I am a brand partner with Purium and you can use my code “GutYourHealth” and save 25% of off your order at ishoppurium.com
other nutrition posts.
The Health Benefits of Beetroot
resources.
Howatson, G., Bell, P. G., Tallent, J., Middleton, B., McHugh, M. P., & Ellis, J. (2012). Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. European journal of nutrition, 51(8), 909-916.
BenSaad, L. A., Kim, K. H., Quah, C. C., Kim, W. R., & Shahimi, M. (2017). Anti-inflammatory potential of ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin A&B isolated from Punica granatum. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 17(1), 47.
Reis, J. F., Monteiro, V. V. S., de Souza Gomes, R., do Carmo, M. M., da Costa, G. V., Ribera, P. C., & Monteiro, M. C. (2016). Action mechanism and cardiovascular effect of anthocyanins: a systematic review of animal and human studies. Journal of translational medicine, 14(1), 315.
Kuehl, K. S., Perrier, E. T., Elliot, D. L., & Chesnutt, J. C. (2010). Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7, 17. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-17