Cherries

Benefits, Nutritional Profile and How to.

Cherries, while small in stature, are highly regarded as a nutrient-dense fruit due to its high antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, one cup of cherries (about 21 cherries) has around 15% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.

This nutrient-dense fruit belongs to the genus-prunus family and is small or generally heart-shape fruit that is deep red in colour. The fruit is usually cultivated from several varieties of plants, however, the Bing (sweet cherries) or Montmorency (tart cherries) are the ones that are usually used for commercial purposes. Tart or Sour cherries might be the ones you see in the frozen section of your supermarket or in the canned products isle. It is typically used for sauces and pastries while the sweet cherries are usually eaten fresh.

You can read more on Cherries in this detailed article here

Cherries Nutritional Profile

150g – (1 cup) Cherries (Sweet, raw):

Calories: 95 Kcal
Protein: 1.59 g
Carbohydrates: 24.02 g
Sugars: 19.23 g
Vitamin C: 10.5 mg
Vitamin A: 4.50 mg
Fat: 0.30g
Calcium: 19.50 mg
Potassium: 333.00 mg
Magnesium: 16.50 mg
Phosphorus: 31.50 mg
Water: 123.38 g

Ref: (USDA Standard Reference)

Here are some Health Benefits of Eating Cherries

1. Have a positive effect on Diabetes due to its effect on both blood glucose and fasting glucose.
2. May be able to reduce liver triglycerides and cholesterol
3. Balancing or the decreasing of blood pressure both systolic and diastolic.
4. Showed to have a positive impact on the prevention of arthritis and gout.
5. May be able to help with both quantity and quality sleep.

Remember, You can read the detailed article on Cherry here

Here are some ways You can include Cherries in your diet

1. Eat fresh, when possible.
2. Juice (DIY/Stored bought).
3. Cherry Ice-cream.
4. Smoothies.
5. Dried Fruit.
6. Pastries.
7. Sauces.

A Word of Caution: Cherry pits contain a substance known as amygdalin, a chemical that releases hydrogen cyanide, a toxic compound (Bolarinwa et. al. 2013; Lan & Liu, 2018). Hydrogen cyanide can potentially damage essential organs when ingest, such as the brain, lungs and hearts (CDC, November 2021).

How will you add this nutrient-dense fruit to your diet?

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