The Health Benefits of Cherries, Even Doctors Won’t Tell You

Cherries are great as a delicious filling for tarts and pies or as garnishes on other desserts such as ice cream sundaes. However, these sweet and sometimes sour little fruits hold plenty of health benefits that make it an exceptional addition to your diet.

It has been proven that one cup of tart cherries carry 1.7g fiber, 0.3g fat, 1g protein, 12.5g carbohydrates, 8.7g sugar, and 51 calories. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the eight benefits that you can enjoy from consuming cherries.

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds

The reason why cherries have that telltale dark red hue is because of its high anthocyanin content. The sourer the cherry tastes, the more anthocyanins it contains. These potent antioxidants assist your body’s cells in protecting themselves from free radicals. Cherries also include vitamin C that plays a pro-vital role when it comes to skincare because it repairs the damage done to the skin by the various factors.

Decreases swelling

Usually, people who endure pain from swelling look to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) even though this drug can be dangerous, mainly when you take too much or suffer from allergies. A 2004 research discovered that cherry juice supplements could decrease inflammation and pain-related responses in animals, showing just how promising it can be as a treatment for swelling.

Prevents cancer growth

In a research conducted in 2003, cherry juice was pitted against the most frequently used preventive anti-inflammatory treatment when it comes to colon tumors —NSAID sulindac. Even though the study was conducted on animals, it is incredible that cherry juice diminished the growth of cancer cells, unlike the NSAID.

Great for a peaceful sleep

Cherries have a hormone known as melatonin that helps in having a sound sleep and acts as a support in regulating the circadian rhythm. Cherries also help in maintaining the sleep-wake cycle.

The best exercise snack

The juice of tart cherries has been known to enhance exercise performance and helps people recover from the tiredness experienced after working out. Research has concluded that runners who drank tart cherry juice before and after their races recovered from fatigue earlier than the runners who used something else to their advantage.

Supports gut health

Montgomery cherries are known to contain fibers that are a primary supporter of keeping the gut healthy and act as an aid in regularizing the digestive system.

Wizards of weight loss

Another study has shown that anthocyanins, the type of flavonoid we’ve mentioned above, can fight the development of obesity. Also, tart cherries can aid in reducing inflammation and abdominal fat, lowering the chances of metabolic syndrome.