Life Can Be a Bowl of Cherries!

Michigan’s Little Finger, the Leelanau Peninsula, is unlocking its most precious secret: the health benefits of tart Montmorency cherries!

Bursting with delicious flavor, cherries have long been a favorite ingredient in culinary delights. Nothing tastes better than a firm, ripe cherry, warmed by the sun and harvested at its peak. And now researchers are discovering that there is more to cherries than their palate appeal!

The Magic of Melatonin

Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio has shown that tart Montmorency cherries contain significant quantities of melatonin, a powerful antioxidant. According to Dr. Russel J. Reiter, "Tart cherries, specifically the Montmorency variety, contain an extremely significant quantity of melatonin, enough to produce positive results in the body¹."*

Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland; its concentration in the blood varies throughout the day, peaking at night-time, triggering sleepiness. Melatonin levels seem to decrease with age, which may explain why the elderly have more problems sleeping than children. Are you one of more than 90% of North Americans who complain of difficulty sleeping at some point in their lives?

What are the benefits of melatonin for you?

• Helps to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep*
• Helps relieve the daytime fatigue associated with jet lag*
• Helps improve your total sleep time when your sleep is restricted or your sleep schedule is altered*

Since Michigan is the cherry capital of North America, it’s no surprise that researchers at Michigan State University were the first to identify the presence of numerous natural compounds in tart cherries with antioxidant properties². These bioactive phytochemicals, called anthocyanins, are especially enriched in tart cherries.

Why is that important to you? In vitro studies have revealed that anthocyanins are extremely effective in inhibiting the COX enzyme. COX enzymes speed up your body’s production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins which cause a feeling of discomfort by irritating your nerve endings.

FEELING SORE? GET CHERRIES!*

A Cherry a Day ...

To top it all off, tart cherries are loaded with a variety of nutrients, including vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin B6, thiamine, phosphorus, iron, calcium and potassium.

Antioxidant Capacity of Selected Fruits†

ORAC Units/100 grams Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) Units per 100 grams.

† Research conducted at Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston and Brunswick Laboratory in Wareham, Massachusetts.

It's a Cherry Jubilee!

Immunotec® Tart Montmorency Cherry Concentrate is delicious! Follow the label directions to make yourself a cherry beverage at bedtime… or let your imagination run wild! Flavor the water you drink while exercising, serve it on ice cream or stir it into plain yogurt. The naturally great taste of tart Montmorency cherries is sure to be a hit however you choose to enjoy it!

Immunotec® Tart Montmorency Cherry Concentrate is 100% pure.

• No preservatives
• No additives
• No food coloring
• No sugar added

1. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2001, 49, 4898-4902 Detection and Quantification of the Antioxidant Melatonin in Montmorency and Balaton Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus), Susanne Burkhardt, Dun Xian Tan, Lucien C. Manchester, Rüdiger Hardeland, and Russel J. Reiter.

2. J. Nat. Prod. 1999, 62, 294-296 Antioxidant and Antiinflammatory Activities of Anthocyanins and their Aglycon, Cyanidin, from Tart Cherries, Haibo Wang, Muraleedharan G. Nair, Gale M. Strasburg, Yu-Chen Chang, Alden M. Booren, J. Ian Gray, and David L. DeWitt.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.