Aging is a normal part of life, and we are not only living longer but enjoying an active lifestyle well into our 80's. With today's medical advances, many seniors are living the lifestyle of someone in their 30's.

Since we are living longer, it is important to be aware of many of the components of senior health including mental health, physical health and emotional well being. With a well-balanced diet, physical exercise, good medical care and a strong support network of family and friends, seniors can look forward to a long and personally fulfilled life.

Health Joints - A Vital Component to Enjoying an Active and Healthy Lifestyle Joint health is a major concern since it represents freedom and enjoyment for many seniors. However, the choices to fight gout and arthritis pain are fast becoming very stressful due to many hazardous side-effects published on some arthritis fighting drugs. That is why many are searching for natural treatments to fight arthritis and joint pain. Fortunately, Mother Nature has answered the call and the tart cherry is fast becoming the natural remedy of choice to fight joint pain.

The Amazing of the Tart Cherry History of the Tart Cherry

The majority of the U.S. tart cherry crop is grown in Northwestern Michigan in an area known as the Traverse Bay region. In fact, this region is often called the "Cherry Capital of the World" since it grows over 70% of all of the tart cherries grown in the U.S. The tart cherry is often called the "healing fruit" due to the natural antioxidants and Anthocyanins naturally found in this little red fruit.

How Do Tart Cherries Relieve Joint Pain from Arthritis?:

Michigan State University was the first research university to identify the Anthocyanins compound found in tart cherries. This groundbreaking research indentified the bioflavonoids and Anthocyanins and published these compounds naturally inhibit the COX 1 and COX 2 enzymes. According to published research from the University, tart cherries inhibit COX 1 and COX 2 (cyclooxygenase 1 and 2) enzymes and prevent inflammation in the body.

The research indicates tart cherries help the body to produce similar types of chemical process as non-sterodial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Examples of NSAIDS drugs include ibuprofen and aspirin. These flavoniods are 10 times more powerful than aspirin in fighting pain and best of all they are natural. However, unlike NSAIDS, these flavonoids protect against stomach damage. In other words, the flavoniods in tart cherries are natural COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors.

Here are a few suggestions to get the powerful arthritis fighting capability of the tart cherry:

o Fresh Tart Cherries: When in season, you can get fresh tart cherries from the produce section of your local store or from your local farm market.

o Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate: It takes approximately 100 cherries to make one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate. This is a super charged way to get the arthritis fighting properties of tart cherries. One source for cherry juice concentrate is Traverse Bay Farms www.traversebayfarms.com. The company will ship cherry juice directly to your home or office.

o Dried Tart Cherries: A handful of dried cherries make a great addition to your morning cereal or as a healthy snack.

o Tart Cherry Capsules (Super Fruit Supplements): Tart cherry capsules are a convenient way to get the pain fight properties of tart cherries in an easy-to-swallow capsule. Tart cherry capsules start with the whole cherry. One good source for tart cherry capsules is Fruit Advantage http://www.fruitadvantage.com since these capsules deliver the antioxidant benefit of 5 glasses of cherry juice without the sugar.

To learn more about the antioxidants found in super fruits, download your free copy the Super Fruit Handbook at www.superfruithandbook.com