Montmorency cherries or tart cherries are the sour sibling of typical sweet cherries. They have a rich red color and are highly concentrated in anthocyanins when compared to standard cherries. Anthocyanins are a polyphenol that gives tart cherries and other types of berries many of their benefits.
Athletes and physically active individuals could benefit from the strong antioxidant effect of tart cherries. There have been multiple studies performed that looked at muscular endurance, muscle soreness, reduced recovery time, and a reduction in inflammation driven by exercise. This could help reduce muscle breakdown and support maintained strength during recovery.
In addition to support muscular recovery tart cherries can also help improve nighttime recovery and sleep efficiency. They are one of the few foods that are naturally high in melatonin and tryptophan. Because of this, tart cherry juice and powder has been studied in improving sleep time, sleep quality, sleep duration, and insomnia. As found in one study "compared to the placebo, the tart cherry juice was found to extend sleep time by 84 minutes and increase sleep efficiency."
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries may help support a reduction in joint stiffness, perceived pain, and inflammatory biomarkers in those with osteoarthritis.
Along with its high antioxidant potential, tart cherries are also rich in nutrients and minerals such as Vitamin A, C, K, Potassium, Manganese, and Copper. This could help support the immune system, heart, lipid, and cognitive health.
We include whole Montmorency cherry extract in Essence Active Greens to help promote many of the benefits mentioned above.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.