Cherry Health Benefits
Let’s look at how Cherries from the Northwest can be beneficial to your health.
Northwest sweet cherries are not only full of flavour, but they are a good source of potassium and several other key nutrients and bioactive compounds.
These include Polyphenols, which are a category of plant compounds that offer various health benefits as well as Indolamines which can influence sleep patterns and mood.
By consuming sweet cherries, polyphenols and indolamines are believed to contribute to a host of beneficial effects on certain diseases and medical conditions.
Keeping pain at bay with anti-inflammatory properties
Sweet cherries contain anthocyanins, which appear to shut down enzymes that cause tissue inflammation in a similar manner to ibuprofen and naproxen. Increased inflammation is the underlying cause for numerous chronic human diseases, such as:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Hypertension
- Cardiovascular disease
Studies involving humans consuming cherries in a variety of formats have shown the reduction of c-reactive protein, a common marker of inflammation, along with other biomarkers of inflammatory disease.
A tastier way to fight cancer
As more research is carried out, there is growing evidence that suggests that sweet cherries may possess cancer-fighting properties.
Whilst rich in many compounds, cherries contain ellagic acid and anthocyanins, which appear to be potent inhibitors to the growth of cancer cells.
Along with other phytonutrients, their individual and synergistic benefits continue to be the focus of several new studies.
Take the bite out of gout attacks
Gout is a painful form of arthritis caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. It’s estimated that between one and two in every 100 people in the UK are affected by gout. The condition mainly affects men over 30 and women after the menopause.
According to research conducted at the USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center, eating sweet cherries can lower the levels of uric acid in the blood.
A further study carried out at The Boston University School of Medicine reported patients who eat sweet cherries and take their medicine have a 35% to 75% lower chance of experiencing an attack.
Sweet cherries can give you sweeter dreams
Sweet cherries are one of the few plant sources of melatonin and as such are considered to be a natural and flavourful aid in improving the quality of sleep.
Eating cherries about an hour before bedtime may help stabilize and regulate sleep patterns.
Snack on a sweet source of fibre
A cup of sweet cherries delivers about three grams of fibre, or around 10% of the recommended daily intake daily by the UK health guidelines.
Just two cups of fruit daily can contribute to healthy weight maintenance, diabetes prevention and improved cardiovascular health.
Eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, reducing stroke risks as well as type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.
A sweet fix without upsetting GI levels
Sweet Cherries boast a lower GI (glycemic index- a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.) than almost any other fruit. They release glucose slowly and evenly, so blood sugar levels stay steady longer.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth and don’t want the unhealthy side effects of too much sugar, you can satisfy your cravings without worry.
Research sources
- “Sweet and sour cherries: Origin, distribution, nutritional composition and health benefits.” Federica Blando and B. Dave Oomah. Trends in Food Science & Technology 86 (2019) 517-529.
- “Dark sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) phenolics as dietary chemopreventive/therapeutic compounds for aggressive breast cancer cell growth with no toxicity to normal breast cells.” Layosa MA, Lage NN, Martens-Talcott SU, Talcott St, Pedrosa ML, Chew BP and Noratto GD.
- “Nutrients, Bioactive Compounds and Bioactivity: The Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries.” Ana C. Gonçalves, Catarina Bento, Branca Silva, Manuel Simões, Luís R. Silva. Current Nutrition & Food Science, 2019 15, 208-227.
- “Acute reduction in blood pressure following consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice may be dose-interval dependant: a pilot cross-over study.” Katherine Kent, Karen E. Charlton, Andrew Jenner and Steven Roodenrys. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2016, 67:1, 47-52.
- “Is there a role for cherries in the management of gout?” Marcum W. Collins Kenneth G. Saag, Jasvinder A. Singh. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, 2019, Vol. 11: 1-16.
- “Consumption of ‘Bing’ sweet cherries lowers circulating concentrations of inflammation markers in healthy men and women.” Kelley, D. S., Rasooly, R., Jacob, R. A., Kader, A. A. & Mackey, B. M. Journal of Nutrition, 2006, 136, 981–986.
- “Sweet Bing Cherries Lower Circulating Concentrations of Markers for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases in Healthy Humans.” Darshan S. Kelley, Yuriko Adkins, Aurosis Reddy, Leslie R. Woodhouse, Bruce E. Mackey and Kent L. Erickson. The Journal of Nutrition, American Society of Nutrition, 2013, doi: 10.3845/jn.112.171371.
- “The consumption of a Jerte Valley cherry product in humans enhances mood, and increases 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid but reduces cortisol levels in urine.” María Garrido, Javier Espino, David González-Gómez, Mercedes Lozano, Carmen Barriga, Sergio D. Paredes, Ana B. Rodríguez. Experimental Gerontology, 2012, 47, 573–580.