HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING CHERRIES

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.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING CHERRIES

  • The antioxidant activity of tart cherries was found superior to that of vitamin E and comparable to commercially available antioxidant products
  • Sweet cherries contain fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, each of which may help play a role in cancer prevention
  • Tart cherries are anti-inflammatory and may help lower your risk of gout attacks and reduce pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis
  • Consuming tart cherry may help increase your melatonin levels and improve your sleep
  • Consuming tart cherries may activate PPAR (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in your body’s tissues, which helps regulate genes involved in fat and glucose metabolism
  • women with osteoarthritis who drank tart cherry juice twice daily for three weeks had significant reductions in markers of inflammation. They also had a 20 percent reduction in pain. The researchers noted that tart cherries have the "highest anti-inflammatory content of any food.