Review: CherryActive, BlueberryActive & BeetActive Juices

CherryActive is a UK based brand, which started in 2005 to provide both sports people and the general public with the natural benefits of cherry juice. The anti-oxidant properties, melatonin content and anthocyanins found in cherries have been shown to benefit recovery for sports people; as well as being beneficial for joint care, sleep and protection from 'free radicals' which may contribute to cancer and heart disease.

The product comes in a concentrated juice, that can be added to water, yoghurt or smoothies. It provides a convenient and tasty way to get some natural goodness.

In the last year the company has grown their range to include BlueberryActive and BeetActive, two juices that are also renowned for their anti-oxidant properties and beneficial effects for athletes. I've sampled each of the three concentrates and they are a convenient and pretty yummy way to get your antioxidants.


The Benefits:
These are just a few of the natural benefits of these juice concentrates:

• Recovery: The products are said to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.
• Free Radicals: The added anti-oxidant intake helps to reduce damage from "oxidative stress" (free radical damage)
• Melatonin: this naturally occurring ingredient is shown to improve sleep quality (a key component of recovery)
• Anthocyanins: these reduce inflammation in joints and help to keep uric acid levels at a healthy level
• Betalains and Nitrates: these two ingredients found in Beetroot juice have been shown in a study at the University of Exeter to improve cycling performance and power output. 
• Quercetin: this is found in abundance in Blueberries and is proven to help boost your immune system dramatically

The Products:

The concentrates are all easy to drink when diluted in 500ml of water, and the Cherry and Blueberry concentrates are very nice mixed in natural yoghurt as a recovery snack. 

All the concentrates keep well when put in the fridge, and provide a very convenient way to have one of your five-a-day, with particular added benefits.

In terms of effectiveness, it can be hard for an individual to determine the efficacy of such a product when there are so many other variables to control for in training and health. However, the benefits of these juices has been scientifically proven multiple times in laboratory conditions, and you will frequently find them in the kitchens of pro-team chefs, as well as in the kit bags of many GB professional athletes that are supported by the CherryActive brand. For me the products are tasty and I have certainly seemed to have a reduced level of inflammation since I started using them.

For those with an active lifestyle, the CherryActive range is a tasty and natural way to boost your diet.