Tart Cherries and Ibprophen

We ran across this article recently written by Lena H. Sun for the Washington Post. An interesting comparison is made between the anti inflammatory properties of ibuprofen and tart cherries. We are huge advocates of eating for your health. Read an to learn about how tart cherries could help you reduce your health. 

I wrenched my neck a few days ago and wondered whether there was something else I could take for the pain instead of ibuprofen. Based on what I’d read in magazines, I searched for the answer in my fridge, which happened to contain more than 40 pounds of tart cherries I had just picked.

Actually, a ton of research has found that these cherries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that help relieve inflammation, pain and damage to cells, organs and blood vessels. That’s probably why nearly 100 professional and collegiate sports teams in the United states have their athletes drinking the stuff, according to sports medicine experts.

And now is the season for this superfruit.

I use them to make the most fabulous pies, or so my co-workers say. Tart cherries are different from the sweet cherries typically sold in the supermarket. You’re not going to find fresh tart cherries in the grocery store, because they’re so perishable. But you can find tart cherry juice and dried tart cherries in stores and online. Depending on where you live, you can get fresh tart cherries at farmers’ markets. If you’re really lucky, you might even be able to get them at pick-your-own orchards.

“What we found is that this food is as good as ibuprofen in terms of pain reduction,” said Kerry Kuehl, a practicing internist and chief of health promotion and sports medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. “It worked as well as 600 to 800 milligrams of ibuprofen, post vigorous exercise.”

Kuehl and other Oregon University researchers found that runners who drank tart cherry juice before and the day of the Oregon Hood to Coast relay race — a 198-mile course that crosses two mountain ranges — had much less pain than runners who drank a fruit punch. (The amount of juice they drank each day was equivalent to eating about 90 to 100 tart cherries.)

Tart cherries are among the foods with the highest levels of anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants of any studied food, Kuehl said. Some foods are high in one or the other, but tart cherries are high in both.

All cherries contain these nutrients, including anthocyanins and flavonoids, but tart cherries have much higher amounts. Here’s what the research shows: Tart cherry juice has benefits for people suffering from arthritis, gout and fibromyalgia, a common chronic pain disorder.

Montmorency is the variety of tart cherry most commonly grown in the United States, and what scientists use in their research.

British cycling teams have been using tart cherry juice for years, and most athletes use a concentrate of cherry juice, says Malachy McHugh, director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, based at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

In the United States, athletes use not-from-concentrate tart cherry juice, which has become increasingly popular with those playing contact sports, sports with multiple games in short periods of time and sports with long seasons and a lot of travel, said McHugh, who is a consultant for a tart cherry juice manufacturer and for the New York Rangers hockey team, one of the teams using the juice.

I ate a lot of tart cherries

— probably four big bowls

— for my neck pain and went to bed. I woke up the next morning and felt much better. I’ve been eating several handfuls a day.

By the way, they taste great. I’ve been baking pies too.

OATS - A Super Food

It is no secret that oats have been on our health food radar for a while. In 1997 oats made a name for themselves when the FDA declared a label could be placed on any oat based product claiming an association between consumption of a diet high in oatmeal, oat bran or oat flour and a reduced risk for coronary heart disease.

And now the words ‘super food’ are buzzing around oats, hailing them the power to reduce disease and extend your life span. So what is inside of an oat that could possibly add years to your lifespan?

Well, oats are low in calories, and high in fiber and protein. Which is a winning combination. Their high fiber and protein content will satiate your hunger much longer than other sugary breakfast items and at fewer calories too. They are also a rich source in potassium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, copper, selenium, thiamine and pantothenic acid (B5).  But what do these nutrients actually do in the body? Lets break this down into simpler terms.

• Pantothenic Acid also known as B5 is most known for its ability to release energy from the foods that we eat and decrease the negative effects of stress. 
• Potassium helps in maintaining the heart, brain, kidneys, muscle tissues and other organs of the body in a healthy condition.
• Zinc is important in helping the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses. 
• Thiamine also known as B1 helps the body’s cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning heart, muscles and nervous system.
• Copper plays a key role in the production of hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells; collagen, a component of bones and connective tissue; myelin, a sheathing that surrounds nerve fibers; and melanin, the pigment that colors your hair and skin.
• Selenium helps regulate the thyroid hormones and support a healthy immune system. One of selenium’s most important roles is as an antioxidant helping to prevent cell damage due to free radicals.
• Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.
• Manganese is important in the formation of bones, connective tissues, blood-clotting factors and sex hormones, and also is involved in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation.

 Looks like oats contain a certified bouquet of nutrients. And the best part is, Oats are extremely inexpensive and very easy to obtain. So consider starting your day with a nice hot bowl of oatmeal every day and see what a difference it makes.