Good Reasons to Get Sweet on Sour Cherries

Life is just a bowl of cherries. Or perhaps more aptly put, a longer life is just a bowl of cherries away.

Research shows that potent compounds found in tart cherries have superpowers that may help nix cell aging and cancer-causing oxidative damage.

Berry, Berry Protective
If your goal is to see enough birthday candles to rival a five-alarm fire, you might also consider adding sweet cherries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries to your bowl. All of these goodies are rich in anthocyanins and other phytochemicals that pack an antiaging, anticancer wallop, according to research. The compounds stopped certain cancer cells from growing and even helped kill some off in lab and animal studies. (Cherries help keep your brain healthy, too.)

Life-Lengthening Extras
An antioxidant-rich diet is a great first step toward extending your life and living disease-free. But you also need to know which diseases you're at risk for, so you can manage that risk and get screened at the appropriate times. Use this list of disease risks and screening tests to get started.

Try this 99-second guide to fighting life's Major Agers.

Tart cherry juice decreases oxidative stress in healthy older men and women. Traustadottir, T. et al., Journal of Nutrition 2009 Oct;139(10):1896-1900.

Tart cherry anthocyanins inhibit tumor development in Apc^Min mice and reduce proliferation of human colon cancer cells. Kang, S. et al., Cancer Letters 2003 May 8;194(1):13-19.