Scientists from Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences and elsewhere found that tart cherry may help reduce inflammation in the body.
Chronic inflammation has been classified as one of the most important threats to health.
It is also referred to as slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years.
Generally, the extent and effects of chronic inflammation vary with the cause of the injury and the ability of the body to repair and overcome the damage.
In chronic inflammation, the body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there is no outside danger.
For example, in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory cells and substances attack joint tissues leading to an inflammation that comes and goes and can cause severe damage to joints with pain and deformities.
Previous research has found that the powerful antioxidants found in tart cherries are linked to a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammation, heart health, pain relief, and muscle recovery.
In the current study, researchers aimed to summarize the effect of tart cherry on several inflammation factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in adults.
They included 10 published clinical studies in the current review.
The results showed that tart cherry had a strong decreasing effect on CRP level compared with the comparison group but had no strong effect on plasma IL-6 compared with the comparison group.
The effect of tart cherry intake on plasma TNF-α levels were increased in only three studies that showed no strong effects.
Based on the findings, the team suggests that there is a strong decreasing effect of tart cherry on CRP. Regarding IL-6 and TNF-α, there may be no strong effect of the tart cherry.
The research was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine and conducted by Ali Gholami et al.
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