Tart cherry intake reduces plasma and tissue inflammation in obesity‐prone rats

Abstract

Obesity involves chronic inflammation, which may contribute to cardiovascular disease Previous studies show that diet provision of anthocyanin‐rich extracts can reduce inflammation. Our group tested the dietary relevance of these findings using a whole‐foods approach with anthocyanin‐rich tart cherries. We compared the effects of tart cherry‐enriched diets in obesity‐prone Zucker Fatty rats fed a pair‐fed a higher fat diet (47% of kcal) supplemented with either 1% freeze‐dried tart cherry powder or 0.85% extra carbohydrate (1:1 glucose:fructose). After 90 days, cherry intake significantly reduced serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and plasma tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐6. Cherry intake also reduced body weight, total fat mass and abdominal fat pad weight while increasing lean body mass. In addition, cherry decreased abdominal fat pad NFκB activity, TNF‐α mRNA and TNF‐α protein. Finally, cherry intake reduced cardiac NFκB activity, TNF‐α mRNA and TNF‐α protein. In obese rats, tart cherry‐enriched diets reduce plasma inflammation, abdominal fat inflammation, and cardiac inflammation, known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.