Cherries Benefits
Cherries are not just the fruit of one particular
plant. Cherries come from many different species of the plant genus Prunus. Not
all Prunus tree fruits are cherries. Prunus trees also produce plums, apricots
and peaches to name but a few. Cherries are a small, rich fleshy fruit with a
stone in the middle. Their colour is usually dark red but can also be pale pink
and even yellowy.
The two cultivated forms of cherries are the sour
cherry, Prunus cerasus, and the
wild cherry, Prunus avium. Most
cultivators grow the wild cherry variety, which is the variety most often
utilized commercially. The sour cherry variety is the one most commonly
associated with cooking.
The two species are not cross-pollinated although
both originated in Asia and Europe. Due to
their relative fragility under a barrage of rain or hail, the highly valued
fruit is expensive compared to many fruits. Even so, wild and sour cherries are
perpetually in high demand.
Depending on where they are being grown, cherries
become ripe for picking at different times of the year, but usually their peak
season is the summertime. In North America and Europe,
June is cherry picking time. In the U.K.
and Canada,
cherries are harvested in mid-July to August. Based on the data from 2007,
annual production worldwide is about two million tons, 40% of that originating
in Europe and 13% in the U.S.
Cherries are used in many baking recipes for
their tartness or flavorful sweetness, depending on the variety used. The
cherry has also been found to have medicinal properties that have been proven
to be beneficial in the prevention of some critical diseases and painful
physical conditions.
Lucius Licinius Lucullus is recorded to have
brought a cultivated cherry from Anatolia to Rome in 72 BC. Later, King Henry VIII, who
had enjoyed the fruit in Flanders, had the cherry introduced to his country at
Teynham, near Sittingbourne in Kent,
England.
Cherries contain anthocyanins which is the red pigment in many fruits. The
anthocyanins in cherries have proven to reduce inflammation and pain in
laboratory rats. The anthocyanins have also been shown to be potent
antioxidants with the potential for being helpful in a variety of ways as
health benefits. Studies have indicated that they may be beneficial in the
fight against diabetes and heart disease. In addition, the anthocyanins in
cherries resulted in lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in rats that
were given a high-fat diet that included whole tart cherry powder mixed in.
Research also revealed that the health benefits of drinking one full
glass of cherry juice daily equals the benefits of consuming 23 portions of
vegetables and fruit. Further, it was determined that drinking 250ml of cherry
juice provides more antioxidants than five portions of tomatoes, carrots, peas,
watermelon and bananas. Antioxidants attack free radical molecules in
the body and can also help prevent heart disease, aging, cancer and stroke. The
juice tested was from the Montmorency tart cherry variety which is U.S. grown.
Cherries contain numerous vitamins such as
Vitamin C and Vitamin A, and are high in nutrients like beta-carotene,
perillyl, ellagic acid, bioflavonoids and potassium. This delightful fruit also
produces melatonin. Melatonin, in addition to helping slow the aging process,
also helps control healthy sleep patterns. A diet that includes cherries can
help decrease body fat, cholesterol and arthritic inflammation.
The health benefits of cherries are quite impressive.
In addition to the aforementioned benefits, Cherries also are known to relieve
headaches, gout and the associated symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome.
Sweet or sour, cherries have a pleasant taste and
are perfect for desserts and snacks. They can be baked in pies, added to
homemade granola bars or yogurt, or even eaten as whole fruit by themselves. Of
course, a cherry is the perfect topper for an ice cream dessert. Black cherries
and bing cherries are also manufactured in teas for a tasty tea and biscuit
afternoon tea break. The knowledge that you are adding nutritious antioxidants
along with a tasty snack only sweetens the experience.
Nature has provided man with so many delicious
foods with high nutritional value. We are only beginning to realize the extent
of that nutritional bounty. As science develops new technologies for the
exploration of disease-preventing foods, we often find that the simplest things
have complexities that offer significant health benefits. Cherries are being
championed as one of the best in that category.
