Tart cherries are loaded with important nutrients. You would have to eat an entire sack of them to obtain all of the nutrition you can get by sipping the juice. Many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents are in tart cherries. Tart cherry juice contains just 137 calories per 1-cup serving, and it is beneficial for cancer prevention, heart health, as an anti-inflammatory agent and offers protection against a host of other conditions. Anthocyanins: Important Phytonutrient Tart cherries are red fruits. Red fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, a class of antioxident phytochemical (disease-fighting agent found in plant foods). Other fruits and vegetables in this class include raspberries, strawberries, beets, cranberries, apples, red onion, kidney beans and red beans. Phytochemicals give brightly colored fruits and vegetables their colorful hues. Anthocyanins, in particular, encourage healthy circulation, ensure proper nerve function and offer anti-cancer properties. Anti-Oxidant Benefits The consumption of foods high in anthocyanins is associated with improved health, in particular if the consumption of tart cherry juice (high in anthocyanins) improves the ability of older adults to resist oxidative damage. Oxidative damage may lead to an increased rate of death and disease in the elderly in response to infections, and diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. The study found that consumption of tart cherry juice provided older adults greater protection against the development of heart disease, cancer and age-related cognitive.