Cherries are tiny, spherical, deep red stone fruits that are in season in the United Kingdom between June and July. Their size and flavour vary according to the variety, which number in the hundreds, but they normally fall into one of two categories: sweet or tart (sour).
Sweet cherries are often consumed fresh, but sour cherries are more commonly used in cooking. The black stone cherry, morello, and Spanish cherry are the most well-known kinds. Before eating or cooking with cherries, the stone must be removed.
Nutritional advantages
An 80g serving of cherries has the following nutrients:
- 162 KJ / 38 kcal
- Protein: 0.7 g
- 0.1 gramme fat
- Carbohydrate: 9.2 g
- Fibre (1.0g)
- Potassium 168 mg
- Vitamin C (9 mg)
- One of your five-a-day servings is an 80g portion, which equals to 14 cherries.
The top five Health Benefits of Cherries
1. It's possible that it has anti-inflammatory properties
Cherries include plant chemicals called anthocyanins and cyanidin, which may have anti-inflammatory qualities and are well recognised for their antioxidant characteristics. Although preliminary evidence suggests that these antioxidants may be useful in inflammatory disorders like arthritis, additional study is required to confirm these findings in human trials.
2. May help to lower blood pressure
Because of its high polyphenol content, natural plant chemicals with health advantages, a mixed cherry, and berry juice may help lower blood pressure, according to research published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Another research that looked at cherry juice alone found that it helped regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.
3. It's possible that it'll help you recuperate faster after a workout
There has been a lot of studies done on cherries, particularly tart cherries, and the function they may play in exercise and recuperation. Drinking tart cherry juice (355ml) for seven days before and during a tough running event reduced post-run muscular discomfort, according to research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. In another small research, tart cherry juice was shown to help with recuperation and muscular function after severe exercise. These results, however, seem to be related to weight-bearing activity, with non-weight-bearing exercise, such as water polo, unlikely to reap the same benefits.
4. It may help you sleep better
Tart cherries are strong in phytochemicals, such as melatonin, which is important in the regulation of our sleep cycles. There have been conflicting studies on whether cherries, especially cherry juice, might help people sleep better, but the indicators are promising. According to research published in the European Journal of Nutrition, tart cherry juice improves both the quality and length of sleep and may be useful to individuals who have sleep problems, while another small study shows that cherry juice may be beneficial to those who suffer from insomnia.
5. It's possible that it'll aid those with gout
Some study has been done on the effects of cherry juice on gout. One research found that eating cherries and cherry juice for two days reduces the incidence of gout attacks, while another study recommends that cherry juice should be eaten for at least four months to minimise acute episodes. According to other studies, consuming cherry juice decreases blood uric acid levels (which might cause a gout attack) in healthy participants. However, these findings have yet to be confirmed in a large-scale investigation including gout patients. More study is now needed before we can establish if cherry juice prevents or eases gout.
Is it safe to eat cherries?
Some individuals may be allergic to cherries, therefore they are unable to enjoy them. This may be a primary allergy, in which case you are allergic to the fruit, or a secondary allergy, in which case you are allergic to pollens from the same plant family.
A secondary allergy develops as a consequence of cross-reactivity; for example, if you are sensitive to birch tree pollen, you may also be allergic to other fruits such as cherries, apples, plums, and peaches.
