Also read the Cherry Nutrition Report
It’s easy to take a positive step in protecting your body and mind from the effects of aging! Just drink Tart Is Smart® 100% natural juice. It’s a delicious, sweet-tart way to get the natural combination of antioxidants you need every day to stay healthy and active.
Research studies show that the Montmorency variety of tart cherries contains more than 17 different compounds with antioxidant
activity, ranking tart cherries higher in antioxidants than blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. This research is by such respected names as Michigan State University, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brunswick Laboratories and the Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI). That’s why Montmorency cherries are called The Healing Fruit.
The antioxidants researchers found in tart cherries include:
- Melatonin to help preserve brain function and promote healthy sleep patterns;
- Anthocyanins to support joint health and protect your cardiovascular system;
- Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) Compounds to scavenge dangerous free radicals, protect artery walls from plaque build-up and support heart function;
- Tart cherries also have one of the highest Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) values of all fruits. (ORAC measures the ability of a food to neutralize free radicals.)
So, What Exactly Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are naturally-occurring compounds found in fruits and vegetables, especially those with deep, dark colors such as ruby red cherries.
During normal cellular metabolism in your body, oxygen can create damaging by-products called “free radicals”. If left unchecked, free radicals may lead to heart damage, cancer, diseases and a weakened immune system. Researchers link free radicals to arteriosclerosis, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cataracts, pigmented retinitis and arthritis.
Antioxidants counteract free radicals by binding with them before they can cause damage, transforming them into non-damaging compounds. Antioxidants also can help maintain cell integrity.
And, when the antioxidants happen to come in delicious Tart Is Smart products, the process is delicious!
How Do These Individual Antioxidants Help?
Most of us recognize the name “Melatonin”. Some of the other, healthy antioxidants found in Tart Is Smart natural juices are less familiar to us. Yet, no matter how complicated the name, this is a story of common-sense nutrition:
Melatonin
Melatonin supports brain function and helps to promote natural sleep patterns. That’s why frequent international travelers rely on melatonin supplements to regulate their schedules and acclimate their bodies to new time zones. With Tart Is Smart, you can get your melatonin naturally, as part of your healthy diet -- not from a pill. An 8 ounce serving of tart cherry juice generally contains 473.47 nanograms of natural melatonin.
Anthocyanins
Researchers believe that “anthocyanins”, the antioxidant plant “flavonoids” that give tart cherries their ruby-red color, support overall heart, artery and joint health. This is particularly important to people who are concerned with keeping their joints healthy and functioning as they age. An 8 ounce serving of tart cherry juice generally contains 1.96 milligrams of anthocyanins.
Tart Is Smart juice is a favorite among arthritis and gout sufferers and those with joint stiffness. Starting your day with a glass of Tart Is Smart juice may help ease you through your day and keep you moving.
Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) Compounds
SOD changes dangerous free radicals to less harmful peroxide. Your body then converts the peroxide into water. SOD Compounds scavenge dangerous free radicals, protect artery walls from plaque build-up and support heart function. According to medical sources, SOD is difficult to absorb from supplements, which is why drinking Tart Is Smart juice is a good way to help your body naturally protect itself from damage!
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)Research results show that tart cherries are one of the highest “ORAC” value fruits – a measure of their ability to neutralize free radicals. Studies indicate consuming foods with high ORAC values, such as Tart Is Smart juices, may help slow the aging process of your body and brain.
There’s more information about ORAC in the USDA Agriculture Research Service articles, “Can Foods Forestall Aging?",February 1999 and "ORAC and Aging", August 2007.
Here’s To Your Health: Check Out The Numbers
An 8 ounce serving of Tart is Smart contains the juice from about 100 cherries. A typical serving of Tart Is Smart juice includes:
Sodium 37 mg
Potassium 243 mg
Fat 0 grams
Carbohydrates 34 grams
Sugar 27 grams
Calories 80
Protein 1 gram
Vitamin C . 16 mg
Calcium 21 mg
Iron .65 mg
Phosphorus 26.45 mg
Melatonin 473.47 ng
Total Antioxidants (umole TE/g) 489.80
Anthocyanins 1.96 mg
Total Phenolics 120.16 mg
Tart Is Smart: Anyway you add it up, it’s a refreshing part of your healthy diet!
Research by Brunswick Laboratories, MA, and USDA ARS.
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