Anthocyanins - What are they and what health benefits can they offer
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Anthocyanins seem to be everywhere, literally. As the aging population is searching for natural ways to stay healthy and active, continuing research on various compounds found in everyday food is increasing. Food scientists are searching to discover the natural health secrets Mother Nature locked into everyday foods. One compound that seems to be getting a lot of attention are Anthocyanins. But what exactly are Anthocyanins? Anthocyanins are responsible for giving nature its vibrant colors. Anthocyanins are present in every fruit and vegetable that has color. You can see the overwhelming presence of this pigment when you visit an orchard or the fresh produce section of your local grocery store. Anthocyanins are present in blueberries, cherries, strawberries, apples, peaches, red raspberries to name a few. In addition, Anthocyanins are the phytochemicals responsible for changing the colors of the leaves from green to fiery red, orange, purple, yellow and more. Anthocyanins have long been the study of botanists due to their phytoprotective capabilities. To date, over 300 distinct types of Anthocyanins have been identified. Based upon research, Anthocyanins belong to one class of flavonoids. Flavonoids include a number of different classes including flavones, flavonones, flavon-3-ols and flavonols to name a few. Different classes of flavonoids have different oxidations states. Thus, from an oxidative standpoint, different fruits and vegetables offers different oxidative degrees. These compounds are of increased interest in the dietary intake for natural therapeutic roles. One of the most publicized research of late is the "French paradox." According to the research, red-wine drinkers from Italy and French have healthier cardiovascular health than Westerners. In addition, some fruits that are high in Anthocyanins, including tart cherries, blueberries, raspberries, black currants, etc., are high in ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capability) values. This is the ability to fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that have lost an oxygen molecule. These unstable molecules steal oxygen molecules from healthy cells. One example of the affects of free radicals on healthy cells is the browning of a freshly cut apple or potato. If you have ever cut an apple or a potato and let it set on the counter for 20 minutes you have witnessed the affects of free radicals. The browning of the exposed fruit is what is called "cellular rust." Anthocyanins help to fight free radicals in the body. This compound is increasingly gain interest for daily dietary intake. The daily consumption of Anthocyanins contained in fruits, vegetable and other foods may be vital maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Tart cherries are a natural and high source of naturally occurring Anthocyanins including over 17 other healthy compounds. Ongoing research suggests, that is the synergistic makeup of all of the phytochemicals, including the Anthocyanins that give the tart cherry the nickname of "natures healing fruit." Although, Anthocyanins are present in also any number of colored fruit, the unique make-up of the compounds found in the tart cherry helps this ruby red fruit to fight joint pain naturally. So in other words, the compounds in the tart cherry are natural COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors. In addition to fighting joint pain, research also shows tart cherry juice helps to soothe sore muscles due to physical exercise. In addition to antioxidant, Anthocyanin-rich, fresh cherries and tart cherry drinks you can also choose from tart cherry juice concentrate and tart cherry capsules. One of the benefits of tart cherry juice concentrate is it takes approximately 100 cherries to make just one ounce of tart cherry juice. So the tart cherry juice is a highly concentrated way to get your daily dose of cherries. Traverse Bay Farms http://www.traversebayfarms.com is a good source of Anthocyanins-rich tart cherry juice concentrate. In addition to tart cherry juice concentrate, tart cherry capsules are another way to get tart cherries conveniently. Tart cherry capsules are made with tart cherry powder. The tart cherry powder is made using the freeze-dried process. The Fruit Advantage http://www.fruitadvantage.com company offers a complete line of tart cherry products including tart cherry capsules.
About the Author
Russ Anderson is an avid writer on the natural health benefits of everyday food. To learn more about the companies included in this article visit: http://www.traversebayfarms.com http://www.fruitadvantage.com
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