Tart Cherries May Reduce Factors Associated With Heart Disease And Diabetes
ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 2008) — Tart cherries -- frequently sold dried, frozen or in juice -- may have more than just good taste and bright red color going for them, according to new animal research from the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.
Rats that received whole tart cherry powder mixed into a high-fat diet didn't gain as much weight or build up as much body fat as rats that didn't receive cherries. And their blood showed much lower levels of molecules that indicate the kind of inflammation that has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. In addition, they had significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than the other rats.
The results, which were seen in both lean and obese rats that were bred to have a predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance, were presented Sunday at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting in San Diego, CA by a team from the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory.
In addition, the obese rats that received cherry powder were less likely to build up fat in their bellies -- another factor linked to cardiovascular disease. All the measures on which the two groups of animals differed are linked to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
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