Why tart cherries and not sweet cherries?
Tart cherries have a higher concentration of the phenolics and anthocyanins than sweet cherries. They are also slightly lower in sugar. So most research studies I have seen tout the beneficial effects of the tart varieties. However, there is also one fairly recent study from 2004 showing that eating fresh Bing cherries may reduce arthritis inflammation and may help lessen the severity of other inflammatory conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. How should you consume the cherries? You can purchase tart cherry juice or cherry juice concentrate at most grocery stores. According to the Cherry Marketing Institute, one 8 ounce glass equals about 100 cherries. However, some of the beneficial compounds can be lost during processing. Tart cherries can also be purchased dried. One serving of dried tart cherries is about ½ cup. Tart cherries can also be bought canned or jarred, but again, cooking destroys many of the compounds. This also means that not much benefit would be gained fr
