Cherries’ Anti-Inflammatory Cox-2 Inhibitor
Cherries play a sweet role in a whole food plant-based diet, and they also play an anti-inflammatory and pain reducing role in the body. The cylcooxygenase-2 or Cox-2 enzyme is responsible for pain and inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce pain by inhibiting the Cox-2 enzyme. The problem with these drugs is they also inhibit the Cox-1 enzyme that protects the stomach from digesting itself.
In the United States every year around 41,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from an ulceration of the stomach wall due to these drugs inhibiting the Cox-1 enzyme.
Cherries on the other hand are natural inhibitors of the pain and inflammation causing Cox-2 enzymes. Cherries also inhibit the Cox-1 enzyme to a much lesser degree than these drugs, and are also packaged with other phytonutrients that are protective of health.
