High blood pressure is responsible for about 1,000 deaths daily. 1 That’s because it often has no symptoms and leads to deadly conditions like stroke and heart disease. That means millions of us — even you — are potential ticking time bombs.
But there’s a new super fruit in the spotlight — and it has blood pressure benefits that are really sweet… even if the taste is more on the tart side.
The latest super fruit sensation is the Montmorency cherry, a sour cherry that’s usually grown in Michigan and Door County, Wisconsin.
Even though these cherries are tiny, like most super fruits, they can really pack a punch health-wise.
There’s evidence that the juice from tart cherries like the Montmorency can protect your body from oxidative damage, which occurs when your cells are being bombarded by free radicals and don’t have enough antioxidants to protect themselves.
Oxidative damage leads to a lot of diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. So it’s something you want to put a stop to sooner rather than later.
And the latest good news about these tart health titans is that they can help save you from the so-called “silent killer.” Researchers from Northumbria University in the UK found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice actually lowers your blood pressure.
And a cup of cherry juice sure beats the scripts your doctor would write you for high blood pressure: diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. All of which come with a side of uncomfortable side effects that rob you of your good health. No thank you.
Not when tart cherry juice will do the trick. Researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice was just as effective as prescription drugs, actually lowering blood pressure by about seven percent.
According to researchers, this drop in blood pressure means that study participants lowered their risk for stroke by 38 percent and their risk for coronary heart disease by 23 percent.
Participants in the study drank 60 ml of tart cherry juice concentrate mixed with water and saw their blood pressure go down within three hours.
And, in case you’re wondering, cherries aren’t the only delicious all-natural blood pressure remedy. Cinnamon, dark chocolate and pomegranate have also been proven in scientific studies to have some major benefits in the blood pressure department. Science like this makes eating your way to a healthy blood pressure a whole lot more fun.
Sources:
“High blood pressure lowers significantly after drinking tart Montmorency cherry juice.” Northumbria University-Newcastle. https://www.northumbria.ac.uk. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
“Foods That Lower Blood Pressure.” University of California-Berkley. http://www.berkeleywellness.com. Retrieved May 6, 2016
[1] http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
