As tasty as most incredibly unhealthy foods may be, there is some competition in the taste department from healthier eats. One that I feel is worth mentioning on both TheDiabetesBlog and TheCardioBlog (chiefly because it is germane to both) is the tart cherry; natures way of making healthy eating happy eating.

In a test involving lab rats, researchers from the University of Michigan Health System found tart cherries to lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, lessen the amount of fat storage in the liver, lower oxidative stress, and increase production of a molecule that assists the body in metabolizing fat and sugar.

Antioxidant compounds known as anthocyanins are found in high amounts in tart cherries. Researchers say that a strong correlation appears to exist between the consumption of tart cherries and the clear changes in metabolic measurements such as those listed above.

Unfortunately, this study still remains at the rodent phase; it will take human clinical trials to determine if tart cherries carry similar benefits for us. FYI: U-M researchers already plan to launch a small clinical trial some time in the near future.