Cherries- Nature's Antioxidant

My family and I all eat cherries every single day. We have found the Dole Frozen cherries, which are already pitted are the very sweetest and best on the market. I have been eating cherries for nearly a year now on a daily basis, and the pain I used to experience in my knees in no longer present.

Tart Cherries Boost Antioxidant Activity

Eating one and a half servings of tart cherries could boost the body's antioxidant activity significantly, according to new University of Michigan research reported at the recent Experimental Biology meeting.

In the study, healthy adults ages 18 to 25 who ate a cup and a half of frozen cherries had increased levels of antioxidants, specifically five different anthocyanins, the natural antioxidants that give cherries their red color.

Twelve were assigned randomly to eat either one and a half cups or three cups of frozen tart cherries. Researchers analyzed participants’ blood and urine at regular intervals after they ate the cherries and found increased antioxidant activity for up to 12 hours after eating cherries.
"This study documents for the first time that the antioxidants in tart cherries do make it into the human bloodstream and is coupled with increased antioxidant activity that could have a positive impact," says Sara L. Warber, M.D., co-director of University of Michigan Integrative Medicine, associate professor in the famlly medicine at the U-M Medical School, and principal investigator of the study. "And, while more research is needed, what’s really great is that a reasonable amount of cherries could potentially deliver benefits, like reducing risk factors for heart disease and inflammation."

Previous animal studies have linked cherries and cherry compounds with important benefits, including helping to lower risk factors for heart disease and impacting inflammation. Warber's research team previously has showed that a cherry-enriched diet can lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce triglycerides, an unhealthy type of blood fat, in animals. Other benefits of cherries found in animal studies include reduced body weight and less “belly fat,” the type linked with increased heart disease risk and Type 2 diabetes.

"It’s encouraging when research like ours finds that great-tasting fruit can lead to real-life benefits, continuing to underscore the importance of whole foods in the diet," Warber says.

About 95 percent percent of cherries consumed in the United States are grown here, with most coming from Michigan, Wisconsin, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Funding for the study was provided by the Cherry Marketing Institute, an organization supported by the North American tart cherry growers and processors

Top 20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Top 20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants into your diet? The following 20 foods contain the highest antioxidant concentration.
Pomegranates
Small red beans (dried)
Wild blueberries
Red kidney beans
Pinto beans
Blueberries (cultivated)
Cranberries
Artichokes (cooked)
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious apples
Granny Smith apples
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Black plums
Gala apples
Black beans (dried)
Plums
Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. Little is actually known about how antioxidants work or what makes them function best. Scientists believe that some antioxidants are more potent than others, and their potency can be affected by cooking or digestion. For example, the antioxidants in blueberries lose their potency when cooked, while the antioxidants in tomatoes become more potent when cooked.
So use this list to find antioxidant-rich foods, but for the best nutritional outcome, eat them in a wide variety.