Summary

The benefits could have a wider scope than just diabetes. Some anthocyanins are thought by researchers to also have anti-inflammatory properties, which could be useful in treating arthritis. Additionally, researchers believe that cherries may help fight colon cancer.

Original source:
http://sheknows.com/about/look/5034.htm

Details

• Perhaps George Washington wouldn't have chopped down his father's cherry tree if he knew what chemists now know.
• In early laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells, the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent, according to a peer-reviewed study scheduled to appear in the Jan. 5, 2005 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
• Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments responsible for the color of many fruits, including cherries.
• They also are potent antioxidants, highly active chemicals that have been increasingly associated with a variety of health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer.
• "It is possible that consumption of cherries and other fruits containing these compounds [anthocyanins] could have a significant impact on insulin levels in humans," says study leader Muralee Nair, PhD, a natural products chemist at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
• "We're excited with the laboratory results so far, but more studies are needed."
• Until human studies are done on cherry anthocyanins, those with diabetes should continue following their doctor's treatment recommendations, including any medicine prescribed, and monitor their insulin carefully, the researcher says.
• The compounds show promise for both the prevention of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, the most common type, and for helping control glucose levels in those who already have diabetes, he adds.
• While fresh cherries and fruits containing these anthocyanins are readily available, medicinal products may be the most efficient way to provide the beneficial compounds, according to Nair.
• Scientists in Nair's laboratory have even developed a unique process, patented by the university, for removing sugar from fruit extracts that contain anthocyanins.
• The compounds are found in both sweet and sour (tart) cherry varieties.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Cherries, Anthocyanins, Antioxidant, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/007261.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.NaturalNews.com/007261.html">Cherries contain antioxidant that can fight diabetes</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts