4 Reasons to Eat MORE Cherries
It’s almost the end of April. That means it’s nearly the beginning of one of my favorite times of the year… cherry season.
If this beautiful red pitted fruit isn’t ALREADY a staple in your home, it’s time to change that.
Now I want to be clear: it’s NOT the candied and preserved sugar bombs known as maraschino cherries I want you to load up on.
I’m talking about the FRESH stone fruits that grow on cherry trees after they’ve shed their beautiful white or pink blossoms.
Because cherries aren’t JUST delicious, they’re nutritious.
Cherries are loaded with valuable nutrients, and they’re linked to some MAJOR health benefits.
Cherry trees are a sight to behold in the spring.
And right after they grace us with their beautiful blossoms, they provide us with a delightfully-sweet superfood all summer long.
You can eat them simply because you love the taste. But every delicious bite delivers health benefits too.
- They help combat arthritis pain.
Cherries are especially known for their ability to help with gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis that can make your big toe (or other joints) feel like they’re on fire.
Gout is typically caused by excess uric acid, and cherries can help lower uric acid levels. As a result, one study showed that eating cherries led to 33 percent fewer gout flare-ups.
And eating cherries plus taking gout medications led to a 75 percent reduction in flare-ups.
- They lower blood sugar levels.
I’m often questioned about whether people with blood sugar problems should be eating fruit or not. In most cases, the answer is yes!
Just be sure you’re eating the whole fruit and NOT drinking fruit juice.
Cherries, in particular, have a low glycemic index. They also have a good amount of fiber in their skin, which makes them enter your bloodstream more slowly, avoiding blood sugar spikes.
- They’re great for your heart.
Cherries provide a high amount of potassium (260 mg per cup), lots of plant sterols, and are low in sodium. This makes them the perfect heart-healthy food for lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease.
- They help you sleep better.
Cherries could be considered nature’s perfect medicine for a good night’s sleep.
They have high levels of melatonin (the sleep hormone), serotonin (which your body uses to make melatonin), and tryptophan (an amino acid that increases serotonin).
Cherries TASTE terrific and are terrific FOR you. So go ahead and enjoy MORE of them this season.
P.S. As we age, our risk for metabolic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, rises. You can REDUCE the risk by loading your plate with TWO specific color foods CLICK HERE for the details.
SOURCE:
(2023, March 27.) “The Cherry on Top: 8 Health Benefits of Cherries.” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-cherries/
