According to a new study published online in the May issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition drinking tart Montmorency cherry juice can significantly lower high blood pressure in early hypertensive men. The study, entitled “Effects of Montmorency tart cherry consumption on vascular function in men with early hypertension” was conducted in the United Kingdom.
Researchers evaluated the vascular function of 15 hypertensive men given either 60ml (about 2 ounces) of a Montmorency cherry concentrate diluted with 100ml of water, or the same amount of a fruit flavored placebo. Those participants who drank the cherry juice reduced their blood pressure by as much as 7 mmHg (7 percent). Previous studies have shown that reducing blood pressure as little as 5 to 6 mmHg has been associated with a 38% reduced risk of stroke and 23% reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
The phenolic acids found in cherry juices may be the reason why the juice was found to have such a strong impact on blood pressure. Researchers noted that the greatest improvement in blood pressure occurred when when two phenolic acids – protocatechuic and vanillic acid – reached peak levels in the blood.
The study, led by Karen Keane, Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Nutrition at Northumbria University in the UK, is the first study to examine the critical effects of Montmorency tart cherry consumption on blood pressure, arterial stiffness and microvascular vasodilation.
You can view the full report on The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition here: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/6/1531/4569616?searchresult=1http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/05/04/ajcn.115.123869.abstract
