Whether you opt for Bing, Rainier, Coral, or another variety of cherry, the season is coming to an end. If you want to take advantage of the plentiful availability before it ebbs, you will have to do so quickly. The tasty treasures that hang from their slender stems are not just sweet and tart, they also are nutrient dense while relatively low in calories.
One cup of fresh cherries is equivalent to one serving. Enjoying cherries may help you to sleep better as they have high levels of melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan. Melatonin is a hormone that helps with your circadian rhythms and sleep. Serotonin is a chemical messenger between nerve cells in the brain and your body. It plays a key role in body functions such as mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting, and sexual desire. You are likely to be familiar with tryptophan as the reason you feel sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. The amino acid, which is plentiful in turkey, produces melatonin and serotonin in your body.
Tart cherries and tart cherry juice may ease inflammation and soothe sore muscles after a workout. A study published in the National Library of Medicine stated, “Endurance athletes use NSAIDs during competition to prevent or reduce pain, which carries the risk of adverse effects. Tart cherries, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may have a protective effect to reduce muscle damage and pain during strenuous exercise.” What a great snack to eat as a reward after a good workout!
A serving of cherries can also be heart healthy. They are rich in potassium and low in sodium, which are beneficial to lowering blood pressure, therefore reducing your risk of heart disease.
Is blood sugar a concern for you or someone you love? Though it’s a carbohydrate, a cherry is low on the glycemic index. Cherries also contain fiber, which makes them raise blood sugars more slowly.
Cherries deserve their categorization as a superfood and the bright red variety of the stone fruit is especially powerful. Red cherries get their deep hue from anthocyanins, antioxidants found in red, blue, and purple produce, and are high in polyphenols. These phytonutrients, or plant chemicals, have antioxidant, cancer-fighting, properties. As stated in Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease , “In the last decade, there has been much interest in the potential health benefits of dietary plant polyphenols as antioxidants. Epidemiological studies and associated meta-analyses strongly suggest that long term consumption of diets rich in plant polyphenols offer protection against development of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases.”
Alas, as I mentioned at the top of the article, cherry season is nearly over, but don’t despair. You can still get the benefits of this superfood in other forms, just be mindful of what a healthy serving size is for each form. For fresh or frozen whole cherries, a serving is one cup. Aside from fresh or frozen, be sure to read the label and watch out for added sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup. The label will also give you the serving size and nutritional values. You may find it helpful to refer to my article, Deciphering Food Labels , to better understand the information listed.
Enjoy these tasty gems fresh while you still can. Knowing that your health will benefit is simply the cherry on top!
Contributing writer Denise Lum is a Health and Fitness Coach raising her family in Alameda. Contact her via CoachDenise@alamedapost.com or FitnessByDsign.com . Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Denise-Lum .
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