The French Connection for Good HealthTart cherry juice concentrate scored highest of all fruits and vegetablesMarch 2006Recently nutrition and health researchers have been investigating what is called the "French paradox" - the low rates of various diseases among the French despite a diet that would seem to be contrary to good health, at least when compared to popular modern American diet notions. The research eventually focused on the daily consumption of red wine by the French as a possible clue, and that led to the identification and isolation of a variety of naturally occurring compounds called anti-oxidants in the fruit. Anti-oxidants have a healing effect in the body. They are vitamins, minerals, and other natural compounds that are found in food and that slow down or prevent the oxidation process that leads to disease. Anti-oxidants "scrub" cells and remove the free radicals which cause damage to cells and are associated with many diseases. Anti-oxidants also help repair damage done to the body's cells by free radicals. A free radical is a molecule with a missing electron, and when oxygen free radicals outnumber the antioxidant activity, the result is an imbalance known as oxidative stress. This means that the free radicals can overpower the antioxidant potential and damage cells in the body. People produce more free radicals and fewer antioxidants as they age. This can lead to mental and physical decline. The decrease in antioxidant production can begin as early as age 25. Nutrition experts say that people must eat antioxidant-rich foods, especially as they age, to maintain a high quality of life. Once researchers had found this exciting new connection between diet and health, it wasn't long before all fruits and vegetables were being tested for the presence and concentration of of anti-oxidants. To almost everyone's surprise the cherry we use here in America for cherry pies - the Montmorency cherry - also called "tart cherry" or "sour cherry" - scored the highest of any other fruit by far. The Montmorency, an heirloom variety that originated in France, is not what one would consider a very glamorous fruit. It is too perishable to be sold fresh in the supermarket and is used primarily for baking and cooking. Over 75% of the production of this bright red cherry is on small family farms in northern Michigan, where the soil and climate are ideal for this ancient cultivar. These family orchards are now offering a variety of tart cherry products directly to consumers, including dried tart cherries and tart cherry juice, and are planting more cherry trees and increasing production. Tart cherry juice concentrate has proven to be the most efficient and potent. Tart cherry juice concentrate scored highest of all fruits and vegetables in recently conducted extensive nutraceutical evaluations and ORAC testing by Brunswick Laboratories. Tart cherry products were tested for what are called "ORAC values." ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorption capacity and is a measure of how many antioxidants are in a food product and how powerful they are. Nutritionists suggest that people consumer at least 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day for good health. The testing showed that tart cherry juice concentrate has 12,800 ORAC units per 100 grams of concentrate; dried cherries have 6,800 ORAC units per 100 grams. Both of these are very high values, significantly higher than other fruit or vegetable, including prunes, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Fresh-eating "Black" or "Bing" sweet cherries, a completely different fruit than tart cherries, score at 270 - one of the lowest scores of any fruit. The connection between good health and fresh fruit gets stronger and stronger as research continues, and opportunities are emerging that enable growers to sell products directly to consumers. This is strengthening our family farms against the destructive ravages of capital-driven global trade and and helps break the monopoly control of our food supply by a small number of giant corporations. Tart cherry juice concentrate is one of the leading examples of the benefits that can be realized by making a more direct connection between farm and table - fresher, healthier food for the consumer, and stronger rural communities and and survival for the family farmer - as well as leading the way toward a brighter future of less reliance on pharmaceuticals for good health. also see:
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