Also called insulin resistance syndrome, metabolic syndrome greatly increases a person's risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Heart Association, 50 million American adults suffer from this silent epidemic, but many of them don't even know that they have it.

University of Michigan researchers' animal studies on powdered tart cherries revealed that increasing your intake of cherries may help lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

Cherries are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins - the ones which provide the deep rich red color in cherries and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and other health benefits.

The study findings which have been presented at the annual meeting of Experimental Biology are so encouraging the researchers are hoping they will lead to human studies.

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