Tart cherries: Homegrown super fruits with functional credentials
Superfruits come and go, but one that's stood the test of time is the tart cherry.
Its antioxidant-packed juice, which has been the subject of a growing number of clinical trials covering everything from insomnia to the low-grade inflammation, is the core component of the product range at New York-based Cheribundi, which has doubled its sales every year for the past three years and sells nationwide at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kroger and other chains.
The target consumers for the core 100% juice product - a tart not-from-concentrate cherry juice with a small amount of apple juice (from concentrate) for sweetness in an 8oz bottle (130 calories) - are athletes, 'weekend warriors', shoppers looking for a natural way to tackle inflammation or to relax (tart cherry juice contains melatonin), and general health & wellness consumers, says VP operations, Ed Maguire.
Other variants include the new Cheribundi Refresh line, which contains a combination of tart cherry juice and fruit juice concentrates; Cherry Relax (with added l-theanine); Cherry Rebuild (with added whey protein isolate & B vitamins); and Cherry Restore (with vitamins and electrolytes).
Click HERE to read more about Cheribundi and tart cherries, which researchers claim can help healthy inflammatory response; slow lipid peroxidation; and increase antioxidant capacity in the blood.
Tart cherries are also improve claimed to recovery following strenuous exercise by limiting inflammation levels in the body, making them a favorite in the sports nutrition community.
