Want to recover faster? Have cherries.

Athletes who drank cherry juice days before and after the race was found to recover more rapidly within a 48-hour period.

Dr Glyn Howatson, exercise physiologist and Laboratory Director in the School of Psychology and Sports Sciences, Northumbria University, conducted the study with 20 athletes who ran the London marathon.  The runners drank either the cherry juice or a placebo drink twice a day for five days before the race and two days afterwards.

According to Dr.  Howatson, “the phytochemicals, in particular, anthocyanins found in Montmorency cherries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidating properties, which the research has shown to be effective in helping exercises to recover from strenuous physical activity.”

Anthocyanins are also present in other fruits, plants, and leaves.  It’s the one that gives them the red, purple, or blue pigment depending on the pH level.  Thus, other plants rich in anthocyanins are blueberry, cranberry, bilberry, black raspberry, red raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, eggplant peel, black rice, concord grape and muscadine grape, red cabbage and violet petals. Anthocyanins are less abundant in banana, asparagus, pea, fennel, pear and potato.

My problem is that many of these fruits are hard to find in the Philippines.  But I often see cherries in Black Forest cakes and blueberries in Blueberry Cheesecakes.  😀

Cherries anyone?

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +1.