Montmorency Cherry Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

Trying to avoid taking blood pressure meds? Try Montmorency tart cherry juice. Researchers at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK, are convinced that it works as well or better than some hypertensive medications. A Northumbria news release reports that the researchers worked with fifteen people with higher than ideal blood pressure–at least 130/90 mmH. The participants were given either 60ml of a Montmorency cherry concentrate or the same amount of a commercially available fruit-flavored cordial, after which blood pressure was taken on an hourly basis over the following eight hours. Ready? The envelope please…The researchers found that the participants who were given the cherry concentrate saw a peak reduction in their blood pressure of 7 mmHg in the three hours after consuming the drink. The news release points out that previous studies have shown that a reduction of between 5-6 mmHg over a sustained period has been associated with a 38% reduced risk of stroke and 23% reduced risk of coronary heart disease.