Tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) is a great source of anthocyanin, the pigment found in food that can range in color from red to purple, or blue or black. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid which are antioxidants. Tart (or sour) cherry juice is often used to treat inflammation in joint disorders and arthritis, muscle soreness, and it has been proven to help sleep quality by increasing melatonin.
Another benefit of Tart cherry juice is the ability to improve cognition in older adults with dementia. In those elderly adults with mild-to-moderate dementia, consumption of 200 ml/day of cherry juice for 12 weeks increased short- and long-term memory, verbal fluency, and reduced blood pressure.
Along with anthocyanins, tart cherry juice is a great source of vitamin A (62% of the RDA), vitamin C (40% of the RDA), Manganese (14% of the RDA), Potassium (12% of the RDA). Tart cherry juice is available in capsules for those who want to avoid the sugar in the juice.
References
- Kent, K, et al. “Consumption of Anthocyanin-Rich Cherry Juice for 12 Weeks Improves Memory and Cognition in Older Adults with Mild-to-Moderate Dementia.” Eur J Nutr., vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 333–341., doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1083-y.
