Nature's Natural Anti Immflamatory: Tart Cherry Juice

[Andre Marc]

This year, a friend is a professional trainer/nutritional expert urged me to try tart cherry juice. He said
it was take away 90% of the discomfort from training and work outs and help heal injuries.

Yeh right.

I play tennis 4 times week, 2 tournaments a month, and 3 days of off court cross training/weights/yoga/biking.

Well, I started drinking it a few months ago (organic unsweetened) and I absolutely swear
that all the inflammation in my body, particularly my feet, and general aches DISAPPEARED.

There are specific chemical properties in cherries that provide these benefits:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013/jun2013_Anti-Inflammatory-Properties-of-Tart-Cherry_01.htm

At first I was in disbelief, but when I went off the cherry juice for a week, the same old aches reappeared.

I also just ordered tart cherry extract supplements.

 

[Steve Williams]

Fascinating read Mark. Where did you order the supplement from.

What brand juice did you prefer

 

[MylesBAstor]

Fascinating read Mark. Where did you order the supplement from.

What brand juice did you prefer

It's not really new, been around for 6-8 yrs. Was originally developed by a doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery, one of the pre-eminent sports medicine facilities, in New York.

 

[Andre Marc]

Fascinating read Mark. Where did you order the supplement from.

What brand juice did you prefer

Hey Steve:

I ordered the Vitamin Shoppe brand as I have had good luck their products.

O preferred RW Knudsen brand..sold at health food stores..and if you can believe it..Wal Mart and Target.

 

[Andre Marc]

It's not really new, been around for 6-8 yrs. Was originally developed by a doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery, one of the pre-eminent sports medicine facilities, in New York.

Definitely not new..but new to me! This may end my relationship with NSAIDs.

 

[amirm]

We have a small sour cherry tree and I love eating the fruit from it. it is very sour but to me, it tastes great. I grew up with it, with my Dad always saying it is good for your "blood." Great to see that it really does have health benefit.

A neighbor has a much larger tree than ours that is on the street. They never eat it and it all falls down and gets wasted. What a shame. I have been tempted to go and ask if I can harvest it!

 

[Andre Marc]

We have a small sour cherry tree and I love eating the fruit from it. it is very sour but to me, it tastes great. I grew up with it, with my Dad always saying it is good for your "blood." Great to see that it really does have health benefit.

A neighbor has a much larger tree than ours that is on the street. They never eat it and it all falls down and gets wasted. What a shame. I have been tempted to go and ask if I can harvest it!

After decades of NSAIDs, I could not be more thrilled that these claims are 100 percent true in regards to pain.

Man, i would be over the in heart beat with gloves and a bucket!!!! I mix the tart cherry juice with iToen oolong iced tea and it is heaven.

 

[WLVCA]

I can attest to tart cherry juice's anti-inflammatory properties. Dried cherries work well, too.

Usually buy them at Trader Joe's.

 

[Andre Marc]

I can attest to tart cherry juice's anti-inflammatory properties. Dried cherries work well, too.

Usually buy them at Trader Joe's.

You think the Big Pharma has an interest in keep this on the fringe?

 

[WLVCA]

No doubt. If Big Pharma controlled cherry juice we'd be paying $500.00 a quart for it.

 

[Andre Marc]

No doubt. If Big Pharma controlled cherry juice we'd be paying $500.00 a quart for it.

LOL. yes indeed. I was TJ's today..they did not have tart cherry, just regular, but I bought it to compare.

 

[Keith_W]

Couple of questions.

1. How does it work?

2. What are the side effects?

 

[MylesBAstor]

Couple of questions.

1. How does it work?

2. What are the side effects?

Keith I don't have the paper any more but the research was originally published by an sports medicine doctor at NY's renowned HSS. No side effects noted as I remember other than it not working. Sure if you have access to a medical library, can easily pull up the research. Personally tried it to no effect but YMMV.

 

[Keith_W]

Myles, from what I can see it inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX). If it has anti-inflammatory effects, the side effects will depend on where it works on the pathway. I would also want to know the pharmacokinetics - how it is broken down and excreted, whether it competes with any drugs for excretion, and so on.

Anything that has a therapeutic effect will also have side effects. Just because the side effects are not documented does not mean they do not exist. No such thing as a free lunch

A Google search on tart cherry juice turned up all the journals which studied the antiinflammatory effects of this juice, and I have no trouble believing that it works. However, I can only access the abstracts. I doubt if I would be able to access the original articles, but I can ask my librarian tomorrow. It would be an interesting alternative to recommend to patients, but as a physician I have to understand something fully before I recommend it.

 

[Andre Marc]

Myles, from what I can see it inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX). If it has anti-inflammatory effects, the side effects will depend on where it works on the pathway. I would also want to know the pharmacokinetics - how it is broken down and excreted, whether it competes with any drugs for excretion, and so on.

Anything that has a therapeutic effect will also have side effects. Just because the side effects are not documented does not mean they do not exist. No such thing as a free lunch

A Google search on tart cherry juice turned up all the journals which studied the antiinflammatory effects of this juice, and I have no trouble believing that it works. However, I can only access the abstracts. I doubt if I would be able to access the original articles, but I can ask my librarian tomorrow. It would be an interesting alternative to recommend to patients, but as a physician I have to understand something fully before I recommend it.

Keith, documented putting side effect aside, I can tell you that I have not taken NSAIDs for 3 months since drinking
tart cherry juice twice daily. No side effects I can personally note. It has been a game changer for me.

 

[Steve Williams]

so Keith it acts as a COX inhibitor. I didn't know that

 

[JackD201]

How many fluid ounces a day is recommended?

 

[Keith_W]

Steve according to the abstracts it inhibits COX (link to references: 1, 2). As you are well aware, inhibiting COX carries with it some other effects, depending on which isoenzyme is inhibited, how selective they are, duration of action, and so on. I have not found much information on these but I would imagine that they should not be used together with NSAID's due to the same mechanism of action and same target.

I would also expect COX inhibition to result in similar side effects, namely propensity to irritate the gastric mucosa, antithrombotic activity, caution in renal failure and pregnancy, fluid retention (and therefore caution in hypertensives and heart failure), caution when prescribing anticoagulants, etc. That is the inevitable result of reducing Prostaglandins, Prostacyclin, Thromboxane A2, and other inflammatory cytokines. Of course, I have not found any documented side effects of tart cherry juice, but in theory they should result in all these.

We should remember that nature has produced other anti-inflammatories as well, most notably extract of willow tree bark Salix alba which has given us Salicylates. I frequently warn people that "natural" does not mean it is "better", and lack of documented side effects does not mean free of side effects. If I am asked my opinion on a "natural product" which contains an undocumented COX inhibitor which is supposedly as potent as Ibuprofen, it would be my responsibility to look carefully into it and ask questions.

 

[Steve Williams]

I asked the question only because of the potential side effects as you outlined the big one being gastric irritation and possible ulcer

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

You think the Big Pharma has an interest in keep this on the fringe?

You think? Any confirmation from any docs on the board? Any negatives? I've got a couple of inflammatory disorders and would love to stop taking anti-flams.

Tim