Cherrypure Sour Cherry Powder
Also known as: Tart cherry, Sour cherry, Montmorency cherry, Cherrypure Sour Cherry Powder, Prunus cerasus L.
Overview
Cherrypure Sour Cherry Powder is derived from tart cherries, specifically the Montmorency cultivar, which are renowned for their high concentration of polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins. These bioactive compounds are responsible for the fruit's potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The supplement is primarily utilized to support exercise recovery, mitigate inflammation, and potentially enhance cardiovascular health and sleep quality. Research into tart cherry supplementation is ongoing, with a growing body of evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. However, variations in dosage and preparation methods across studies can complicate direct comparisons, highlighting the need for standardized analytical methods, such as HPLC quantification of anthocyanins, to ensure consistency and improve the comparability of future research findings.
Benefits
Tart cherry supplementation offers several evidence-based benefits. For exercise recovery, meta-analyses indicate a small but significant reduction in muscle soreness (effect size = -0.44) and moderate improvements in the recovery of muscular strength (effect size = -0.78) and power (effect size = -0.53), including a large effect on jump height recovery (effect size = -0.82). This suggests it can aid athletes in recovering from strenuous activity. Regarding inflammation, tart cherry has been shown to reduce serum C-reactive protein (CRP) with a weighted mean difference of -0.39 mg/L, indicating a moderate certainty of its anti-inflammatory effect. While it may also reduce tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), the certainty of this effect is very low. Current research does not support significant effects on cardiovascular parameters like blood pressure or heart rate. Evidence for improved endurance performance is mixed, with some studies showing benefits in cycling time trials but no significant improvement in marathon performance.
How it works
The beneficial effects of tart cherry powder are primarily attributed to its rich content of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. These compounds act as potent antioxidants by scavenging free radicals, thereby reducing oxidative stress in the body. Concurrently, they exert anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). In the context of exercise recovery, these mechanisms help to mitigate muscle damage and inflammation induced by strenuous physical activity, facilitating faster repair and regeneration of muscle tissue. While anthocyanins are absorbed, they undergo extensive metabolism, which influences their systemic bioavailability and overall physiological impact.
Side effects
Cherrypure Sour Cherry Powder is generally considered safe for consumption, with clinical trials reporting no serious adverse effects. Any side effects are rare and typically mild, primarily involving minor gastrointestinal discomfort in individuals with sensitive digestive systems. There are no significant drug interactions or contraindications that have been extensively documented in the scientific literature. However, specific recommendations for special populations, such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, or children, are limited due to insufficient research data in these groups. As with any supplement, individuals with pre-existing medical conditions or those taking prescription medications should consult a healthcare professional before starting supplementation.
Dosage
Effective dosages of tart cherry powder vary significantly across studies, with total polyphenol intake ranging from approximately 143 to 2,140 mg per day, and anthocyanin doses from 15 to 547 mg per day. A dose-response analysis suggests that for every 30 ml increase in tart cherry dose, there is a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) by 0.19 mg/L. For exercise recovery, typical supplementation protocols involve consuming the powder before and after strenuous activity, often for a duration of 5-7 days. To ensure optimal efficacy and consistency, standardization of the anthocyanin content in tart cherry products is highly recommended. Users should refer to product-specific guidelines and consider consulting a healthcare professional for personalized dosage recommendations.
FAQs
Is Cherrypure effective for muscle soreness?
Yes, evidence from meta-analyses supports that tart cherry supplementation can lead to a small to moderate reduction in muscle soreness and improved recovery of strength and power after strenuous exercise.
Does it lower blood pressure?
Current scientific evidence does not consistently support significant effects of tart cherry supplementation on blood pressure or heart rate.
How quickly do benefits appear?
Benefits related to exercise recovery, such as reduced soreness and improved muscle function, are typically observed within a few days of consistent supplementation around exercise bouts.
Are there safety concerns?
Cherrypure Sour Cherry Powder is generally considered safe, with minimal and rare side effects, primarily mild gastrointestinal discomfort. No serious adverse effects or significant drug interactions have been reported.
Research Sources
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.652094/pdf – This review highlights the variability in tart cherry supplement research due to different preparation methods and dosages. It emphasizes the need for analytical standardization, such as HPLC quantification of anthocyanins, to improve the comparability and reliability of future studies on tart cherry's health benefits.
- https://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Effect_of_Tart_Cherry_Concentrate_on_Endurance_Exercise_Performance_A_Meta_analysis.pdf – This meta-analysis investigated the effect of tart cherry concentrate on endurance exercise performance. It found mixed results, with some studies showing improvements in cycling time trials but no significant impact on marathon performance, suggesting inconsistent benefits for endurance athletes.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10559679/ – This systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 RCTs examined the dose-dependent effects of tart cherry on inflammation and cardiovascular markers. It concluded with moderate certainty that tart cherry reduces C-reactive protein (CRP) and identified a dose-response relationship, but found no significant effects on blood pressure or heart rate.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33440334/ – This systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 RCTs focused on tart cherry supplementation for recovery from strenuous exercise. It reported small to moderate beneficial effects on muscle soreness, strength, power, and inflammatory markers like CRP and IL-6, supporting its use for post-exercise recovery.
