If two heads are better than one, then is it even remotely possible that two fruity functional foods wrapped into one supplement are better than just one fruit-based component? That apparently is true in the case of tart cherry and blueberry when merged into one natural remedy, a combination in which they not only complement one another but also bolster several of the positive effects they each can have on your general health.
As National Institutes of Health puts it, in so many words, putting together cherry and blueberry in a single supplements makes for a “synergistic antioxidant powerhouse,” producing a blend that bolsters the body’s ability to thwart inflammation, speed up exercise recovery, regulate blood pressure and even help with sleep quality and cognitive function.
What’s not to like about this red and blue concoction?
Behind the Science of Cherry-Blueberry Supplements
This idea has been explored elsewhere in this blog space, the idea that studying fruits and vegetables for the health-wielding powers beyond being perched high atop food pyramids has become a focal point of the herb and supplement industry.
This type of study of cherries and blueberries has demonstrated their capacity to not only counterbalance oxidative stress markers in your body but also to quell out-of-control pro-inflammatory responses. What does that mean? In part it says these nutrient-dense cherries and blueberries show promise in being able to weaken or even mitigate the emergence of chronic diseases such as diabetes at the same time it is reaching elsewhere across your body to boost your immune system. Neat trick, huh?
6 Health Benefits Offered Either by Cherry or Blueberry
This is the part of a blog where we usually hone in on the specific benefits offered by a particular supplement, herb, or other nutrient. This time we are going to do things a bit differently, going back and forth between cherries and blueberries, giving each its turn to tout its best attributes:
Cherry Attribute: Encourages more restful sleep. Tart, sweet cherries contain melatonin and serotonin; the former a hormone that assists in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, while the latter aids your body in producing melatonin. For good measure, a third substance, the amino acid tryptophan, in turn boosts the manufacture of serotonin, which is the “secret sauce” responsible for putting you asleep after Thanksgiving dinner.
Blueberry attribute: Protect your skin. The robust antioxidants in blueberry, most notably anthocyanins, can guard your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation as well as environmental factors such as pollution and the ozone.
Cherry attribute: Promote exercise recovery. Cherry’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can shorten the time it takes for your body to recover from exercise, according to 2022 research. You can also protect muscle function during physical activity by consuming cherry a few days in advance.
Blueberry attribute: Manage healthy blood sugar levels. Blueberry’s abundance of dietary fiber, which contains less sugar than other types of fruit, can help fend off blood sugar spikes. Its anthocyanins might also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes..
Cherry attribute: Prevent/reduce the pain of gout. Gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis, is caused by a buildup of painful uric acid affecting your big toe and other joints. Cherry/cherry juice can diminish that pain and swelling.
Blueberry attribute: aids in healthy digestion. Chalk this up to the presence of both soluble and insoluble fiber that, when mixed, can aid in effortless bowel movements of the healthy variety.
There are other health-related benefits in which cherries and blueberries play vital roles, such as those touched on earlier in this blog, offering further evidence of how useful and, yes, “functional” a cherry-blueberry supplement can be. First, though, be sure to discuss the use of this supplement before you consider adding it to your daily regimen.