test-Turmeric & Tart Cherry: Your Winning Antioxidant Combo
Vitamins & Supplements
Turmeric & Tart Cherry: Your Winning Antioxidant Combo
Lindsey Toth, MS, RD • May 21, 2021

Tart cherry and turmeric are an amazing cardiovascular and joint health duo. Antioxidant compounds within these two herbs are clinically shown to benefit both joints and heart health, and their free radical fighting power extends to support wellbeing throughout the body. Let’s take a look at how they help.

Benefits of Turmeric

From turmeric lattes and golden milk to turmeric supplements and even turmeric skincare, this superfood ingredient is trending. That’s because it lends antioxidant protection to so many areas of the body, from the skin and brain to your digestive system, joints and heart.

Turmeric may be best known for neutralizing free radicals and promoting joint health, movement and physical function, and studies show it can also support joint comfort, but research shows a lot of promise in the realm of heart health too.1

Studies on curcumin, the most active compound within turmeric, revealed as much as a 65% reduced risk of heart health concerns among a test group taking curcumin supplements, and another study claimed it may even be as effective as exercise for supporting heart function.1

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should stop exercising—exercise is important for so many reasons. It just means you can get an extra dose of heart-loving support from turmeric.1 And you can pair it with tart cherry to double up on the benefits.

Benefits of Tart Cherry

Tart cherries are among natures most potent sources of flavonoids, including anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are the plant pigments that give these berries their color, and they’re known to have substantial antioxidant activity.2

The antioxidant flavonoids in tart cherries benefit your body in several ways. Tart cherry supports joint health by protecting joint tissues against free radicals and supporting healthy collagen structures, and the anthocyanins may help metabolize uric acid to keep it at a comfortable level.3 Healthy uric acid levels play an important role in the health and comfort of our joints.

Studies have also shown that tart cherry may support vascular function, supporting healthy blood pressure already within the normal range and promoting the health of blood vessels, which researchers believe may be linked to phenolic compounds within tart cherry.4,5

Tart Cherry & Turmeric Together

The combined antioxidant properties of tart cherry and turmeric make this a winning combination for overall wellness, and especially for joint and heart health. That’s why you’ll often find combination supplements with both turmeric and tart cherry in the same formula.

Want to learn about more powerful turmeric pairings? Read Turmeric & Boswellia: The Perfect Joint-Heath Duo 

Lindsey Bristol, Swanson Health Products

 

 



 

 

About Lindsey Toth, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian, Swanson Health Products

Lindsey is a nationally-recognized registered dietitian and nutritionist with a soft spot for pie. She empowers people to take charge of their health by finding the balance between the pleasure and nourishment in food.

Her philosophy is that you should take care of your body because it’s the only permanent home you have. It’s what inspired her to pursue a career in nutrition and, ultimately, led her to Swanson Health.

Sources

1 10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric

2 Tart Cherry. Michigan Medicine. University of Michigan. http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hn-10009962

3 Bell, et al. Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 11, November 2014, Pages 82-90 doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2014.09.004

4 Keane, et al. Br J Nutr. 2016 Dec;116(11):1935-1944. doi: 10.1017/S0007114516004177. Epub 2016 Dec 19.

5 Keane, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jun;103(6):1531-9. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.123869. Epub 2016 May 4.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

Originally Published | 5/22/2019

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