Did you know that cherries contain quite a lot of beneficial nutrients for your body? They are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. But that’s not all! They are also known to improve inflammation, provide better sleep, and even protect heart health. Of course, this depends on how much cherries a person actually consumes in their diet. Read on to learn more!
1. Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s response to illness in the body. It can actually be helpful but if you are like me or the other 60 million people in the world who struggle with chronic inflammation, then this might be a helpful article for you. A diet high in fruits, vegetables and fiber can help lower inflammation and cherries are no exception. It doesn’t matter whether the cherries are sweet or tart, juices or concentrates- they will help, so try to incorporate cherries into your everyday diet. They are usually only available in the summer time so be sure to buy a bunch and freeze them!
2. Gout
I do not personally struggle with gout but according to Medical News Today cherries can help! Gout causes severe joint pain triggered by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Eating cherries could moderate levels of uric acid in the body. There was a study that found a 35% reduction rate in gout over a 2 day period in people who either ate cherries or drank cherry juice regardless of their sex or age. This is absolutely impressive!
3. Heart Health
It is no secret that a diet consisting of healthy fruits and vegetables are extremely beneficial to your health, but cherries and cherry products are especially valuable as they show a potential for lowering blood pressure. Get this- One study in females with diabetes found that taking 40 grams of tart cherry juice a day for about 6 weeks lowered their blood pressure. Having high blood pressure is a significant risk factor for having a heart attack which is also a leading cause of death worldwide. Cherries also contain polyphenols and potassium which are known to help with blood pressure.
4. Sleep
Did you know that cherries are a natural source of melatonin? I bet you didn’t! Melatonin is a neurotransmitter that influences mood and sleep. It is very useful for those who struggle with insomnia because it is a chemical that induces sleep. Many people take melatonin in pill form, but why take pills when you can eat sweet tasty cherries?
5. Exercise
Exercise is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but it can cause sore muscles or even injury if done improperly. A 2020 study involving people who drank tart cherry concentrate for seven days, 1.5 hours before exercising showed that it improved a person’s endurance greatly. This may be possible because of its low glycemic index and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and blood flow enhancement properties. More studies will be done to figure out if cherries can reduce recovery time and soreness after exercising.
Well, there you have it! What are you waiting for? Grab yourself some cherries and give your body what it deserves!