The Super Fruit Handbook: Sleep Better with Tart Cherries

A free article on Health and Fitness

By: Russ Anderson

Get a Good Night's Sleep with Tart Cherries

One area of continued interested regarding the tart cherry is the presence of melatonin. Melatonin helps to regulate the body's rhythmic patterns - its helps control sleepiness during the night and wakefulness during the day. According to research from the University of Texas the amounts of melatonin present in tart cherries can produce a positive outcome in the body.
Melatonin is usually not found in fruits. However, Tart cherries have high levels of naturally occurring melatonin. In addition, different types of tart cherry products have different melatonin levels.
Melatonin Levels in Different Tart Cherry Products:

Fresh Tart Cherries: Up to 13.5 nanograms (ng) of Melatonin per gram
Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate: Has up to 10 times more the Melatonin per gram when compared to the raw fruit.
Tart Cherry Powder: 137+ ng per gram
(Cherry powder is used to make tart cherry capsules)

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland, which is located at the base of the brain. In addition to controlling the body's rhythmic clock, melatonin also acts as an antioxidant. It helps to combat free radicals in the body. Additional research from the University of Texas indicates melatonin is both soluble in both fat and water. This helps this compound to penetrate some cells that vitamins cannot enter, thus melatonin is more potent that vitamins A, C, and E. Although melatonin is available without a prescription, food experts recommend consuming this beneficial compound through whole food consumption like tart cherries.

As you can see by the comparison above, tart cherry powder is potent source of this Melatonin. In addition, it is very convenient to take with you during business travel, the family vacation or simply after a busy day and stressful day. So if you are looking a natural source of Melatonin eating fresh cherries is always a good choice, especially during the summer harvest. However if you are looking for a year round source of Melatonin, consider tart cherry powder.

Here are a few suggestions to get the melatonin benefits of the tart cherry:
" Fresh Tart Cherries: When in season, you can get fresh cherries straight from the farmers market or the produce section of your local store.
" Dried Tart Cherries: A handful of dried cherries make a great healthy snack or an addition to your morning cereal. A 1/4 cup of dried cherries delivers 3,060 ORAC units and 15% of the recommended daily allowance of fiber.
" Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate: It takes approximately 100 tart cherries to make one ounce of tart cherry juice. Each of tart cherry juice concentrate delivers 3,622 ORAC units. Tart cherry juice concentrate is a concentrated way to get the natural health benefits of this ruby red fruit. Traverse Bay Farms www.traversebayfarms.com is also a good source for tart cherry juice concentrate.
" Tart Cherry Capsules: Tart cherry capsules are the most convenient and easiest way to get the natural health benefits of the tart cherry. When buying tart cherry capsules make sure they are a whole cherry supplements. A whole cherry supplement uses the entire tart cherry, excluding the pit and the stem, is used to produce the tart cherry capsules. Every part of the tart cherry is used, including the skin and the pulp of the fruit A good source for whole tart cherry capsules is Fruit Advantage www.fruitadvantage.com

Add some tart cherries to your diet to get a better night's sleep, naturally.

Don't forget to download your free copy of the Super Fruit Handbook.

Information about the Author:

Russ Anderson is an avid writer about the the natural benefits of food. Download a free copy of the Super Fruit Handbook at www.superfruithandbook.com. To learn more about tart cherries visit www.traversebayfarms.com

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