For some time, tart cherry juice concentrates have been used for their potential health benefits. However there are sometimes hurdles for consumer compliance. Some people don’t like the taste and mouthfeel.
Others may avoid them because of their added sugar content. Now, researchers at Ohio University have found tart cherry capsules may be an effective alternative.
Their double blind, placebo-controlled study, published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, compared the impact of tart cherry, in either juice or powder form, on two inflammatory markers (uric acid and high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) and oxidative capacity (ORAC). Anderson Advanced’s CherryPURE capsules were used in this study.
I consider it a very good sign that we saw this benefit in people not currently diagnosed with chronic inflammation
- Angela Hillman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Division of Exercise Physiology, Ohio University
“Although the use of tart cherry concentrate dominates the literature, the use of powdered cherry supplements has increased recently,” noted researcher Angela Hillman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Division of Exercise Physiology, Ohio University.
“One might consider the use of a powdered tart cherry capsule because it is lower in sugar than the juice or concentrate versions, contains the skins of the cherry where many of the anthocyanins are found, and each capsule contains more cherry product.”
Study design and results
Researchers recruited 48 healthy college students, who were randomly assigned to one of six groups. Participants ingested tart cherries or a placebo as either juice (240 ml per bottle) or CherryPURE capsules (480mg per capsule) once or twice daily for 48 hours. “We chose these dosages because the protocol closely mimicked what people would do in real life,” said Hillman.
Inflammatory markers and ORAC were measured at baseline and 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after ingestion. “We found that one capsule a day lowered uric acid for 24 hours, while two capsules lowered it for 8 hours. This study provides evidence that tart cherry powder effectively lowers uric acid and that a single dose daily is sufficient,” said Hillman.
“By comparison, tart cherry juice actually increased uric acid for a little while, then levels started going down a bit. And there was no difference with one bottle or two bottles of juice per day.” Researchers saw few differences in the C-Reactive Protein and ORAC markers.
Study takeaways
Hillman said: “CherryPURE capsules positively impacted uric acid levels in a healthy population. I consider it a very good sign that we saw this benefit in people not currently diagnosed with chronic inflammation. For those who want to get the health benefits from tart cherries, but either don’t like the taste or find the juice to be inconvenient, this study indicates a single daily capsule may be a good option.”
Hillman continued: “Maintaining healthy uric acid levels is important for quality of life and overall health, including the kidneys, joints and the cardiovascular system. This study provides evidence that we can use tart cherry capsules/CherryPURE to do this and further investigations are warranted.”
Anderson Advanced Ingredients VP John Jarmul, said: “Since its launch 15 years ago, we’ve been focused on ensuring CherryPURE is one of the most efficacious and science-backed botanical products in the industry. Our team at Anderson and our partners at Shoreline Fruit are happy to see this current study indicates we are achieving our goals.”
CherryPURE is produced from the phytonutrient-rich skins of Montmorency tart cherries. It takes more than 100 pounds of fresh cherries to yield a single kilogram of carrier-free powder. CherryPURE is 100% tart cherry, GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan and excipient-free.
In addition to this most current study, CherryPURE is backed by two compelling human studies on exercise recovery for resistance and endurance athletes conducted by the Texas A&M University Department of Kinesiology. Additional CherryPURE clinical studies are ongoing.