13 Best Benefits Of Cherry Juice For Skin, Hair And Health
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Juices have always been part of a healthy diet. Fruit juices are an effective way of getting the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals available in fruits. Some people prefer having juices rather than eating the whole fruits as they are more convenient and taste better. As we all know, cherries are loaded with vital nutrients and sipping cherry juice is an effective way of obtaining them as long as it is 100% fruit juice without added sugar. Just like cherries, cherry juice has antioxidant and inflammatory properties and thus, offers several health benefits.
There are generally two varieties of cherry juice- black cherry juice and tart cherry juice. Tart cherry juice has a higher concentration of Anthocyanins whereas black cherry juice has a higher content of vitamins A and C. Both have equal amounts of sodium and potassium electrolytes. Black cherry juice has a slightly higher concentration of sugar and can lead to weight gain. All in all, both the juices have become popular health choices and can be incorporated in a healthy diet.
In This Article
Cherry Juice Health Benefits
Research has proved that consuming a glass of cherry juice is equivalent to eating 23 different portions of fruits and vegetables. Around 250 ml of juice contains more antioxidants than 5 portions of peas, bananas, carrots, tomatoes and water melon. The health benefits of cherry juice are as follows.
1. Treats Insomnia:
Tart cherries are a good natural source of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body’s sleep patterns. The natural melatonin in tart cherry juice can promote healthy sleep and manage sleep disorders. Thus, tart cherry juice can be a healthy alternative to sleep medications.
2. Treatment of Gout and Arthritis:
Gout is caused due to accumulation of uric acid in the blood. Cherry juice contains compounds that can relieve gout pain by lowering the levels of uric acid. Black cherry juice is effective in relieving arthritis pain due to its inflammatory properties.
3. Heart Healthy:
Tart cherry juice contains the most powerful antioxidants including quercetin. This antioxidant prevents the oxidative damage caused by free radicals from low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol). On being oxidized this cholesterol adheres to the arterial walls, forming plaque that can cause heart attack and stroke.
4. Anti-Cancer:
Carcinogens are harmful substances in water, air and food that can damage the body’s cells, which may result in cancer. Tart cherry juice contains antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins which possess anti carcinogenic capacity. These compounds are loaded with disease fighting chemicals such as perillyl alcohol, limonene and ellagic acid which can be beneficial in halting cell transformation that leads to cancer. Thus, cherry juice can be protective against cancers of the breast, lung, liver and skin.
5. Quick Muscle Recovery:
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cherries can help in decreasing the incidence of exercise induced muscle damage and cure muscle soreness. Thus, drinking cherry juice facilitates quick muscle recovery after exercise by improving strength, decreasing inflammation and lowering the levels of oxidized lipids.
6. Regulation of Blood Sugar:
Tart cherry juice offers metabolic benefits which include improved insulin levels, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The anthocyanin compounds influence the genes that control the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, resulting in lower cholesterol levels, decreased abdominal fat and reduced inflammation. Hence, cherry juice lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. But the juice should not contain sugar and added preservatives as it can raise blood sugar and insulin levels rather than controlling them.
7. Other Benefits:
Cherry juice is more effective than aspirins in relieving pains due to injuries as well as migraines. It improves blood circulation and memory performance. Quercetin contained in this juice is an anti-inflammatory agent that helps in alleviating asthma symptoms and other respiratory problems.
Cherry Juice: Skin Benefits
A healthy body is a pre-requisite of healthy skin. Regular intake of vital nutrients plays an important role in maintaining skin health and providing protection against skin problems. Being rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, cherry juice can be beneficial for your skin in the following ways.
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8. Anti-ageing Benefits:
According to research conducted by the scientists of Michigan State University, drinking a glass of tart cherry juice per day can slow down the ageing process. This fruit contains 17 different antioxidant compounds that help the body to fight free radicals which cause ageing. The most important among these are the anthocyanins that strengthen connective tissues and prevent wrinkles by destroying the harmful enzymes which make the skin old and wrinkled.
9. Protection from Skin Cancer:
The anthocyanin contains disease fighting chemicals that provide protection against skin cancer by fighting and destroying harmful free radicals.
10. Treatment of Acne and Other Skin Conditions:
Cherry juice is considered as an alternative treatment for skin problems like acne, rosacea and acne vulgaris. The antibacterial properties in cherries fight against acne by removing toxins from the blood and fighting bacteria trapped under the skin. Vitamin A helps in repairing damaged cells to maintain healthy skin.
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11. Skin Lightening:
Cherry concentrate is a natural ingredient in several beauty products due to its skin lightening qualities. Thus, drinking cherry juice lowers skin damage and helps to promote healthier, lighter skin due to its high vitamin C content.
Cherry Juice: Hair Benefits
Just like the rest of the body, healthy and damage free hair are dependent on the supply of vital nutrients to the hair follicles. Hair problems can be caused if our diet is lacking in any of these nutrients. As stated earlier, the nutrients in cherry juice are comparable to those contained in fruits and vegetables. These can promote hair health as well.
12. Prevention of Hair Loss:
Anaemia is the most common cause of hair loss and indicates that your diet is deficient in iron. Being rich in iron, cherry juice can prevent anaemia, thus combating hair loss.
13. Maintenance of Healthy Hair:
Cherries are excellent sources of beta-carotene and anthocyanin antioxidants which are vital for hair and skin health. Thus, drinking cherry juice contributes to the maintenance of healthy hair.
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