Comparative impact of tart cherry‐enriched diets on metabolic syndrome and inflammation in rats fed high versus low carbohydrate diets

Previous studies show that diet provision of anthocyanin-rich extracts reduces phenotypes of metabolic syndrome. 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 lean Zucker rats, isocalorically pair-fed a low-fat/high carbohydrate diet (LFHC, 10% kcal from fat, 75% from carbohydrate) versus a high-fat/moderate carbohydrate diet (HFLC, 45% kcal from fat, 40% from carbohydrate). Diets were supplemented with either 1% freeze-dried tart cherry powder or 0.85% extra carbohydrate (1:1 glucose:fructose). Measures include fasting glucose, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, insulin, plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha, organ weights, and fat pad mass. Results showed that the cherry provision reduced cholesterol in both diets. The LFHC diet significantly increased plasma triglycerides, an effect that was significantly attenuated in cherry-fed rats. While cherry provision did not affect body weight, cherry was associated with reduced the visceral fat in LFHC-fed rats. Cherry-fed rats also displayed reduced IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the HFLC-fed rats. The findings suggest that tart cherry-enriched diets reduce plasma triglycerides, central adiposity, and systemic inflammation, known risk factors for Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.