TUESDAY, April 8, 2008) —  Tart cherries may guard against cardiovascular troubles, respectively, new research presented this week at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting in San Diego suggest.

Researchers found in animal studies that tart cherries help reduce inflammation, in turn potentially reducing the risk of getting type 2  diabetes and heart disease

Inflammation is a normal process that fights infection or injury, but when it's chronic, it increases the risk for heart problems and diabetes.

The cherries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, believed to give them their anti-inflammatory powers. The was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute, but the institute had no other role in the study, conducted at the University of Michigan.

SOURCES:  April 6-7, 2008, presentations, Experimental Biology annual meeting, San Diego