Montmorency Tart Cherries are another of Nature's wonders, hugely beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing. They are a rich source of antioxidants, which can help fight cancer and heart disease. Indeed they are veritable Free Radical scavengers with the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance) index of all known fruits (see below)

Arthritis and Gout

In addition, there are beneficial compounds in Montmorency tart cherries that help relieve the pain of arthritis and gout. Other fruits and vegetable do not have the pain relief of tart cherries. While the research on the exact mechanisms that give the pain relief is ongoing, many consumers are discovering that tart cherry juice and other cherry products can stave off pain.

When pain from arthritis and gout strikes the body, most people don’t care how their medicine works, as long as it does work. What many pain sufferers take for granted is the complex chemical process that allows their pain medication to work. It’s the same chemistry that is making tart cherries the preferred “medication” for a booming generation of pain sufferers.

Gout is a type of arthritis (inflammation of the joints) that mostly affects men age 40 and older. It is nearly always associated with an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is produced in the liver and enters the bloodstream. Under certain circumstances, the body produces too much uric acid or excretes too little. As uric acid concentrations increase, needlelike crystals of a salt called monosodium urate (MSU) form. In time, MSU crystals accumulate and cause inflammation and pain, symptoms typical of gout.

Cherries contain flavonoid compounds that lower uric acid and reduce inflammation. Cherry juice concentrate has demonstrated to be extremely effective in reducing the pain associated with gout.

Cherries contain flavonoid compounds that may lower uric acid and reduce inflammation, so cherry juice concentrate could be effective in reducing the pain associated with gout. Cox Inhibition May Fight Heart Attacks

Research by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has demonstrated that aspirin, ibuprofen and other COX inhibitors may aid substantially in preventing heart disease, slowing the build-up of plaque in blood vessels by more than 50 percent.

Although more data in needed in support of the extrapolation, it is entirely logical that the same enzymes that make cherries effective in blocking the pain messages carried by the COX enzyme would also make cherries effective in protecting against heart attack and stroke.

Melatonin

Montmorency tart cherries are a rich source of melatonin. This discovery was made at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Russel Reiter, who has been studying melatonin for more than 30 years, headed up the research team. “Tart cherries, specifically the Montmorency variety, contain an extremely significant quantity of melatonin, enough to produce positive results in the body,” says Dr. Reiter.

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant considered more potent that vitamins C, E, and A, because it is soluble both in fat and water. It is a natural hormone produced in the pineal gland at the base of the brain. Melatonin influences the sleep process and because it is an antioxidant, it can help the body destroy free radicals, which cause aging and cell death.

Although melatonin is available as a supplement and can be purchased without a prescription, Dr. Reiter and other health experts extol the benefits of consuming melatonin through food consumption.

It is fare more safer taking Melatonin as it occurs in nature rather then artificial produced supplements.

Fibromyalgia and Cherries

Some consumers have discovered that Montmorency tart cherries can help relieve the pain of Fibromyalgia, a debilitating muscle disorder.

FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons - the fibrous tissues in the body. Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over.

Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, but it shows up in people of all ages.

Traditional treatments are geared toward improving the quality of sleep, as well as reducing pain. Because deep level (stage 4) sleep is so crucial for many body functions, such as tissue repair, antibody production, and perhaps even the regulation of various neurotransmitters, hormones and immune system chemicals, the sleep disorders that frequently occur in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients are thought to be a major contributing factor to the symptoms of this condition. Medicines that boost the body’s level of serotonin and norepinephrine - neurotransmitters that modulate sleep, pain and immune system function - are commonly prescribed. In addition, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen may also be beneficial.

It is certainly possible that tart cherries could play a role in alleviating some of the pain and discomfort brought on by Fibromyalgia. First, cherries contain significant quantities of melatonin, which help regulate the sleep cycle. One of the key treatment areas for patients with fibromyalgia is to regulate the sleep cycle. Melatonin helps do that. Further, the anthocyanins found in cherries contain some of the highest levels of Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors of any known food. The anthocyanins found in cherries function in the same manner as ibuprofen, and thus, may help relieve the pain of fibromyalgia syndrome.