Want to boost your stamina? Drink tart cherry juice. This advice is backed by a recent meta-analysis of 10 studies on tart cherries and their benefits for people who exercise.

The studies collectively included 147 athletes and who supplemented with various forms of tart cherry, such as juice, powder and capsule.

After analyzing the results of all 10 studies, the researchers found that tart cherry concentrate in juice or powder form significantly improves endurance when consumed before swimming, cycling or running.

The researchers believe the antioxidants in tart cherries can improve blood flow and reduce inflammation, thereby enhancing endurance. They hope to conduct more studies in the future to determine exactly how much tart cherries juice is needed to maximize these benefits, so that they can recommend a specific dose to athletes.

More benefits of tart cherry juice

There is a staggering amount of studies that prove tart cherry juice can benefit your health in many ways. That’s hardly surprising, seeing as how tart cherries are loaded with essential nutrients.

Tart cherries and tart cherry juice are excellent sources of minerals, including iron and magnesium. They can also provide over 60 percent of your daily vitamin A needs and nearly half of your daily vitamin C needs. In addition, they contain modest amounts of copper, vitamin K and manganese.

Aside from boosting exercise endurance, tart cherry juice can also:

• Promote quality sleep – Tart cherries are one of the few foods loaded with melatonin. This compound, which is also naturally made by the pineal gland in the brain, helps your body know when it’s time to sleep and wake up. Therefore, drinking tart cherry juice before bedtime could help you sleep more soundly at night.
• Boost brain function – Tart cherries are high in anthocyanins, a group of pigments that also work as antioxidants. Many studies on people with dementia and other degenerative brain issues show that anthocyanins have a positive effect on brain function.
• Strengthen your immune system – The anthocyanins in tart cherry juice have antimicrobial properties that can help your body fight off infections. Tart cherry juice is also a good source of vitamin C, which can boost immunity by helping immune cells, such as white blood cells, function more effectively.
• Improve heart health – Tart cherry juice contains modest amounts of potassium. This nutrient helps relax blood vessel walls, thereby reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease.
• Aid in weight loss – Though additional studies are needed, tart cherry juice has been shown to promote weight loss because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is closely linked to obesity.

How to make tart cherry concentrate juice

Tart cherries are quite delicate and don’t ship well, so it’s quite difficult to find them sold fresh. So instead, look for these tangy orbs in the frozen and canned goods sections. You wouldn’t want to have them fresh anyway because tart cherries taste extremely bitter when consumed raw. This is why they are usually dried, juiced or frozen and then blended.

If you’re lucky, you might find 100 percent pure tart cherry juice or concentrate at the supermarket. If you can’t find any, however, you can always make your own juice using whole tart cherries. Here’s how:

Ingredients for 3 liters of juice:

• 4 pounds tart cherries
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup stevia powder

Preparation:

1. Wash and clean the tart cherries. Remove the stems but leave the pits.
2. Add the water and tart cherries to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Drain the tart cherry water through a strainer. Press the cherries to extract more juice.
4. Pour the juice back to the pot. Add the stevia. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the stevia has dissolved.
5. Pour the juice into sterile glass bottles and secure the lids. Boil in a canning pot for 10 minutes to seal.

Tart cherry juice can boost exercise endurance because of the antioxidants it contains. It can even help you sleep better and maintain healthy blood pressure. Start drinking tart cherry juice today to enjoy its many benefits.

Sources:

MindBodyGreen.com

PureWow.com

CookingLSL.com