Cherries, both sour (tart) Prunus avium and sweet are known by everyone for how delicious they can be, but they can also relieve pain, help you avoid premature aging, and add years to your life? Of course, eating cherries during these winter months can be costly and challenging, but there is a very convenient solution.

Cherries, along with many other berries, are a rich source of antioxidants, they help prevent or repair the damage that is done to the body’s cells by free radicals. This means that antioxidants replace free radicals in your body before they can cause any damage.

Queritrin--a flavonoid--is rich in cherries, and has been found by researchers to be one of the most potent anticancer agents. When eating cherries, the queritrin is set free to fight off all the body’s cancerous cells.

Cherries also contain ellagic acid, a naturally occurring plant phenolic known as an anti-carcinogenic/anti-mutagenic compound. Some researchers say that ellagic acid may be the most effective way to prevent cancer.

Another compound found in cherries--perillyl alcohol (POH)--is extremely powerful in reducing the occurrence of all types of cancer. Researchers found that POH stops the growth of cancer cells by depriving them of the proteins they need to grow. It has worked on every kind of cancer that POH has been tested against.

Tart cherries contain two powerful compounds, anthocyanins and bioflavonoids. Both of these compounds slow down the enzymes Cyclo-oxyygenase 1 and 2, which helps to relieve and prevent arthritis and gout in the body. Cherries are rich in two important flavonoids, isoqueritrin and queritrin, which act as antioxidants and work to eliminate byproducts of oxidative stress, therefore slowing down the aging process. By helping to reduce inflammation in the body, the anthocyanin and bioflanoids in cherries also help eliminate migraine headaches. These compounds are known to have similar activity to aspirin and ibuprofen.

Extensive evidence points out that the antioxidant melatonin, which is also rich in cherries, is significant in improving the body’s circadian rhythms. Since melatonin is found in small quantities in the body, a slight increase can produce great results. Melatonin is also found to help the body’s natural sleep patterns. Since the body so rapidly absorbs melatonin, cherries can increase melatonin levels in the blood, therefore improving the way you sleep. T o harness the antioxidant power of cherries on a routine basis--and you definitely should, as they are one of nature’s true "healing foods"--then you should seriously consider red tart cherry juice concentrate or powder.

Along with blueberry and pomegranate concentrates or powders, cherry juice concentrate or powder is a super-nutritious, all-natural--and absolutely delicious--daily addition to your diet. As part of my personal program to prevent disease and avoid premature aging.

Tart cherry juice concentrate or powder is 100 percent natural and contains an amazing 55 to 60 tart cherries in every ounce. That’s a single recommended serving, so in other words, you’d have to eat 55 to 60 cherries to get the same health benefit, but do not eat 55 to 60 cherries, as that is too much sugar and with concentrate or powder, you will be getting the health benefit of the cherries without all the sugar. While most people simply mix the concentrate or powder with water and drink it every morning for all the health benefits along with the incredible taste, some enjoy mixing it with milk, as it is a concentrate or powder, it is incredibly versatile as a healthy ingredient in many recipes, as well. For instance, in juicing, the cherry concentrate or powder is an exceptional addition to a wide range of recipes.