Effects of Cherry Consumption on Metabolic Health: A Pilot Clinical Study on Healthy Adults

Cherry consumption has been associated with several metabolic health benefits, due to their rich profile of bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins. This pilot clinical study, which is, to our knowledge, the first evaluating consumption of whole cherries, aimed to evaluate the effects of daily cherry consumption on oxidative stress, inflammation, glycaemic regulation, and other metabolic health markers in healthy adults. A total of 27 volunteers consumed 280 g of sweet cherries daily for 42 days, followed by a two-week post-intervention period. Significant improvements were observed in glucose regulation, including reduced HbA1c and estimated average glucose levels. Markers of inflammation, such as IL-6 and AGP-1 were significantly reduced during the intervention period. In addition, reductions in GGT and LDH indicated potential hepatoprotective effects. These results suggest that regular cherry consumption may serve as a preventive strategy against early metabolic dysfunction, highlighting the need for further investigation with larger, long-term clinical trials.