Cherries, which are members of the same
fruit family as peaches , plums, apricots, and
almonds, are often regarded as a “dessert”
fruit for use in pies, or perhaps as a garnish
for cocktails (the maraschino cherry).
But cherries have a healthy side too, one that
may actually offer therapeutic benefits to
your health, as cherries are rich in
antioxidants and many other health-promoting
compounds.
There are two primary varieties of cherries
you should know about: sweet and tart (also
known as sour cherries). Sweet cherries,
such as Bing cherries, are best eaten fresh
(and raw), while sour cherries develop a fuller
flavor when they’re used in cooking (which is
why they’re often used for baking).
Tart cherries are also used to make juice
concentrates that may offer some unique
health benefits. Some of the most notable
health effects of cherries include…
1. Antioxidant Protection
Cherries contain powerful antioxidants like
anthocyanins and cyanidin. One study found
the antioxidant activity of these substances
isolated from tart cherries was superior to
that of vitamin E and comparable to
commercially available antioxidant products.
Sweet cherries also contain a small amount
of quercetin, which is among the most
potent in terms of antioxidant activity and a
wide range of other health-promoting
properties.
2. Cancer-Preventive Compounds
Sweet cherries contain fiber, vitamin C,
carotenoids, and anthocyanins, each of which
may help play a role in cancer prevention.
According to the National Cherry Growers &
Industries Foundation:
“The potential role of sweet cherries in cancer
prevention lies mostly in the anthocyanin
content, especially in cyanidin. Sweet cherries
are a good source of cyanidins, which appear
to act as an antioxidant and in this role may
reduce cancer risk…
A study… using human cancer cell lines
demonstrated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of
mutated cells exposed to cherry anthocyanins…
Further research suggests that the growth
arrest characteristics of cyanidin are likely, at
least in part, to be a result of significant
inhibitory effects of these cherry components
on epidermal growth factor receptors…
Finally, there is compelling evidence from basic
science that cyanidin may also promote cellular
differentiation and thus reduce the risk for
healthy cells to transform to cancer.”.
Source from Google.