Here’s a quick pic of the Montmorency cherry block from outside the office door this morning. Won’t be long before peak bloom!

NEW ORLEANS, April 20 (UPI) — Eating one and a half servings of tart cherries could significantly boost antioxidant activity, U.S. researchers said.

University of Michigan researchers said 12 healthy adults ages 18-25 were randomly assigned to eat either one-and-a-half cups or three cups of frozen tart cherries.

Researchers analyzed participants’ blood and urine at regular intervals after they ate the cherries and found increased antioxidant activity for up to 12 hours after eating cherries.

Principal investigator Dr. Sara L. Warber, co-director of University of Michigan Integrative Medicine, said the study documents that the anti-oxidants in tart cherries make it into the human bloodstream and are coupled with increased antioxidant activity that could have a positive impact.

“More research is needed, what’s really great is that a reasonable amount of cherries could potentially deliver benefits, like reducing risk factors for heart disease and inflammation,” Warber said in a statement.

The findings are being presented at the 2009 Experimental Biology meeting in New Orleans.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.