You Should Know . . .

Two tablespoons of Immunotec’s Cherry Concentrate contains 5,000 ORAC units; this equals more than 6 servings of fruit.  Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores demonstrate the ability to scavenge free radicals.  According to researchers at the Human Aging Institute, ingesting 5,000 ORAC units per day substantially reduces your risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and other age related illnesses.

Tart cherries contain melatonin, a hormone found in all living creatures from algae to humans. Immunotec’s Cherry Concentrate is made from Montmorency Cherries which have 6 times more natural-sourced melatonin than do Balatron cherries.

Nobel Prize laureate Julius Axelrod performed many of the first experiments that elucidated the role of melatonin and the pineal gland in regulating sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythms). High levels of the sleep-hormone melatonin increased the life span of mice by 20% in Italian studies.

Melatonin crosses the blood-brain barrier and placenta, as well as the cell membrane.  It has been shown to markedly protect both membrane lipids and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from oxidative damage.  It has been demonstrated to prevent the damage to DNA by some carcinogens, thereby stopping the mechanism by which they cause cancer.

Melatonin is now known to be a multi-faceted free radical scavenger and antioxidant.  Melatonin also enhances the antioxidant potential of the cell by stimulating the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, and by augmenting glutathione (GSH) levels.

Studies summarize the neuroprotective role of melatonin which has been shown to be highly effective in reducing oxidative damage in the central nervous system.  In particular, studies focus on its ability to reduce oxidative damage in Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Cherry concentrate contains perillyl alcohol, a natural compound that is powerful in reducing the incidence of all types of cancer.

Cherry concentrate naturally contains ellagic acid.  Clinical tests conducted at the Hollings Cancer Institute at MUSC shows that consuming ellagic acid may aid the body in cancer prevention.

Tart cherries significantly inhibit the COX enzyme.  Suppressing this COX enzyme may suppress the pain of inflammation.  One serving of Cherry Concentrate is equivalent to 0.30 grams of aspirin.  A standard aspirin tablet is .325 grams.

High levels of anthocyanins are partly responsible for COX enzyme inhibition.  Anthocyanins are the pigments that make cherries red.  Some studies show them to have not only anti-inflammatory properties, but they may also aid in the prevention of vascular diseases and possible help to inhibit some tumor cells.  The anthocyanins found in cherries contain some of the highest levels of Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors of any known food.  They function in the same manner as ibuprofen, and have been studied in relation to alleviating chronic pain.

Six major flavonoids are been identified by Brunswick Labs in tart cherries.  All are powerful antioxidants, including substantial amounts of proanthocyanins, isoqueritrin and queritrin which assist the body in eliminating by-products of oxidative stress, thereby slowing the aging process. Flavonoids are cell-rejuvenating antioxidants, which can assist in lowering the risk of heart disease, reducing inflammation and lowering uric acid.

Immunotec’s Cherry Concentrate also has a low glycemic index of only 22, making is safe for diabetics.

The body of research is overwhelmingly supportive of the claim that melatonin boosts the immune system, thereby helping to fight many diseases.

Melatonin is also an immunoregulator that enhances T Cell production.  When taken in conjunction with calcium, melatonin is a very potent immunostimulator of the T Cell response.

Recent research has concluded that melatonin supplementation in perimenopausal women produces a highly significant improvement in thyroid function and gonadotropin levels.  It also helps to reduce the age-related decline in hormone production from the thyroid and pituitary glands.

Melatonin is involved in the regulation of body weight, and may be helpful in treating obesity, especially when combined with calcium.

The effect of melatonin on the prevention of breast cancer has now been demonstrated in the 12/01 issue of Neuroendocrinology Letters.  Exposure to constant light promoted breast cancer; treatment with melatonin substantially prevents it.

Several clinical studies indicate that supplementation with melatonin is an effective preventative treatment for migraine sufferers.

An interesting study measured melatonin levels against glutathione levels during sleep.  A research team at the University of Texas showed that subjects given melatonin doubled their brain glutathione levels within 30 minutes.  Like GSH (glutathione) anywhere in the body, it eliminates toxic hydroxyl radicals, but this brain GSH is more effective with sleep.  It seems that melatonin may protect brain and nerve tissue because of its GSH-enhancing ability.  Several European studies have supported these findings.

This same University of Texas team led by R.J.Reiter has published many papers linking melatonin to GSH production.  In a sports physiology experiment, muscle glutathione was measured before and after extended exercise.  By using melatonin to pre-treat subjects before the stress of exercise, the usual, significant decreases in GSH levels due to oxidative stress were eliminated.

It is recommended to take your Immunotec Cherry Concentrate at the end of the day to improve the quality of sleep, re-set the biological clock, and contribute to wakefulness during the day.

There are between 1,280 and 1,600 cherries in every bottle of Immunotec’s Cherry Concentrate; that’s 80 to 100 cherries per fluid ounce.

All of the above statements are documented.
Several pages of medical references are available on request.
Please email firstdibs@shaw.ca for references.

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