There is no doubt that tart cherries hold massive amounts of polyphenols and anthocyanins that are beneficial to human health. Much work has been done on performance and muscle recovery as well.

In addition, the antioxidants present in tart cherries can reduce pain and inflammation. This makes it ideal for post-workout recovery, or a natural solution if you find that you’re sore from being on your feet all day.

Studies in runners have shown less pain, fewer inflammatory markers and better recovery. It has also been proven to reduce oxidative damage to muscle and other tissues. There is even documentation that Roman soldiers were given tart cherry to treat pain after battle.

Finally, the melatonin content of tart cherries and tart cherry extract is beneficial. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid. Therefore, tart cherry will help the brain to detoxify through antioxidant activities and assist in sleep which also benefits the brain at night.

Oxidative stress occurs when your body has difficulty breaking down free radicals. For example, when you breathe in, oxygen molecules are broken down. When unpaired electrons, the building blocks of molecules, are released during this process, they can wreak havoc on the body. Your body naturally releases antioxidants to capture these electrons, but a variety of factors can impact your body’s ability to create them.

Lifestyle choices, environmental factors such as pollution, and more can impact this process, causing oxidative stress.

Read More: What Is Oxidative Stress?

Oxidative stress in the brain and nervous system leads to pain, decreased cognition and a decline of motor abilities over time. The body has a certain capacity to combat oxidative stress, but this decreases with age along with the lifestyle factors mentioned above.

Worse still, oxidative stress generally increases as we age. Therefore, anything that helps us to fight oxidative stress should be explored and considered in my opinion.

Polyphenols, chemicals found naturally in plants, provide such defenses for us. Polyphenols are plant-based compounds that are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Tart cherries have polyphenols that are considered helpful in halting the negative effects of aging.

Tart cherries also have an abundance of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are a polyphenol class and are usually responsible for the rich coloring of fruits and berries. Cyanidin is one of the most plentiful anthocyanins in tart cherries.

Tart cherries also produce flavan-3-ols and flavanols. These compounds allow tart cherries to reduce inflammation and to decrease oxidative stress in the brain and throughout the body.