The Potent juice of Montmorency Cherries
Montmorency cherries are very healthy according to researchers at British Northumbria University. The tart cherries are more than just a snack; they can help significantly with your health. Men were given blood pressure tests prior to and after drinking the tart cherry juice. The result was that the cherry juice reduced their blood pressure by 7%; nearly the same decrease would have happened if the men would have consumed blood pressure medication.
The participants in the study were diagnosed with early hypertension prior to taking the test. Some of the participants were given the Montmorency cherry juice, while others were given a placebo cherry drink. Each participant’s blood pressure level was taken prior to the test and after drinking the beverage that they were given; each participant’s blood pressure levels were taken at intervals for eight hours after drinking the beverage they were given.
The Montmorency cherry juice drinkers saw a sharp decrease in their blood pressure levels by 7% only three hours after drinking the cherry juice. Surprisingly, the participants who had higher blood pressure levels had the most improvement.
Phenolic acids, potent antioxidants, were the reason behind the significant drop in blood pressure according to researchers.
The test of Montmorency tart cherries was the first test to see whether the cherry juice had any effect on blood pressure of participants with hypertension. The corresponding data helped to prove that cherry juice has a very positive effect on blood pressure. Of course, there is still plenty of research needed to confirm whether cherry juice is fully effective with lowering high blood pressure. Studies done prior to this one confirmed that a drop of one mmHg, for example a drop from 6 mmHg to 5 mmHg, can lower the risk of stroke by nearly 40% and the risk of heart disease can drop by 23%.
Another study done by Northumbria University found that participants who drank Montmorency cherry juice were able to sleep nearly 40 minutes more.
