Seyedeh Parisa Moosavian - Department of Community Nutrition, Vice-Chancellery for Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Maryam maher - Department of Community Nutrition, Vice-Chancellery for Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Mahla Chambari - Department of Nutrition Sciences, Varastegan Institute for Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Fateme Moradi - Department of community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Mehran Rahimlou - Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

Tart cherries are rich in bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins and other phytochemicals known to have antioxidant properties and exert cardiovascular protective effects. However, there is no definitive consensus on this context. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of tart cherry juice consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors. A systematic search was conducted on electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception up to December ۲۰۲۱ to identify eligible RCT studies. A random-effect model was utilized to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and ۹۵% confidence (۹۵% CI). Ten RCTs were included in the present meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that tart cherry juice consumption led to a significant reduction in the fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels (WMD = -۰.۵۱ mg/dl [۹۵% CI: -۰.۹۸, -۰.۰۶]). This lowering effect of FBS was robust in subgroups with cross-over studies, participants with age range ≥۴۰, duration of follow up ≤۴ weeks, and baseline BMI ≥۳۰. In contrast, tart cherry juice had no effect on total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), insulin, body mass index (BMI), fat mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, in the subgroup analysis, some significant effects were observed for insulin, TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C. In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that tart cherry juice consumption may be beneficial in improving several CVD risk factors. However, further RCTs with long term intervention with different dose of administration are needed

Tart cherry juice, blood pressure; fasting blood sugar, body mass index, Lipid profile, meta-analysis