Let’s take a look at something sweet and sour this week…. No, no I am not talking about some delicious chicken.  I am talking about the health benefits of Tart Cherry Juice. We have already briefly touched upon it with my insomnia articles, so like some topics, let’s get a little more in depth with this.

Tart cherry juice is extracted from Montmorency cherries, which as you guessed it are….tart.  There are so many good things in tart cherry juice that makes it very nutritious.  It is high in:

• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Iron
• Zinc

However, there are still a lot more benefits to the juice than just all those delicious nutrients.  Like what can it do for you? —

Well, here’s the answer to that, it helps aid in exercise performance and recovery. After exercise, people who constantly drink tart cherry juice have noticed reduced muscle pain and reduced strength loss post workout.  Now how it helps during the work out, due to the low glycemic index, its anti – inflammatory and anti- oxidative properties, it can improve athletic performance in endurance athletes.

Another thing that tart cherry juice aids in, which you may remember from a previous article is insomnia.  It can help increase sleep time and efficiency due to the tryptophan and the ability it has to increase your body’s production of melatonin.

And finally, of course its full of antioxidants.  Studies have shown that it can improve our antioxidant defenses and cognitive abilities due to its antioxidant properties.

BUT, before you run out and buy some because its sounds so good, I, of course have to play devils advocate here.  Like everything else I have brought into a subject before we have to look at the potential risks before you try.

One of the risks is well, if you are diabetic, of course you don’t want to drink the juice, the sugar content is so high, HOWEVER you can still reap the benefits through a supplement.

Also, it can interact poorly with some medications, so you want to be careful, those who are on blood pressure and cholesterol medications, should talk to their doctor before trying to add the tart cherry juice into you diet.

Overall, its still very nutritious, you just need to consider the alternatives if you can’t drink the juice.