A diet containing tart cherries may help reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan and presented at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association. The study was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute, which did not have any involvement in its design, implementation or analysis. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high fasting blood sugar, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol and central obesity (obesity characterized mainly by belly fat). In the current study, researchers evaluated several symptoms of metabolic syndrome in mice that were fed one of two diets, either with or without added whole tart cherry powder. The mice were fed either a high-fat, moderate carbohydrate diet, with 45 percent of its calories from fat and 40 percent from carbohydrates, or a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet, with 10 percent of its calories from fat and 75 percent from carbohydrates.
April 15, 2009
