Cherries Nutritional Benefits

Cherries are more popularly known as "super fruit" due to the large number of cherries health benefits that can be obtained from them. These tasty small fruits contain a number of elements that provide nutritional benefits. They are low in calories and high in antioxidants that have significant health benefits. Read more on cherry fruit facts.

There are two varieties of cherries, they are sweet cherries and tart cherries. Cherries can be consumed as dried, frozen or you can make cheery juice, all the forms have equal health benefits. Let us go into some detailed discussion on cherries nutritional benefits.

Nutritional Benefits of Cherries
The chief nutrients present in cherries that provide significant cherries health benefits are

• Anthocyanins
• Melatonin
• Vitamin C
• Bioflavonoids
• Ellagic acid
• Perillyl

Brief information on each of these nutrients and their health benefits is given below.

Anthocyanins and Bioflavonoids
Cherries contain pigments called anthocyanins and bioflavonoids. These pigments act as antioxidants when they are transferred to human body after consumption. These antioxidants help the human body to generate essential amino acids. Further, these antioxidants also play an important role in protection of body cells. Our body contains number of free radicals which are responsible for damaging the cells. The antioxidants present in cherries destroy these free radicals and hence protect the body cells from damage. Anthocyanins provide further more cherries health benefits. They are natural pain relievers and are more effective than the artificial medications used. They are anti-inflammatory and help to lower the risk of fatal diseases like cancer. Bioflavonoids help in proper functioning of the kidney, which benefits diabetic patients.

Melatonin
One more important content of cherries is melatonin, which is a natural hormone found in plants and animals. This hormone is responsible for regulating sleep cycle in our body. Thus, people suffering from sleep disorders like insomnia, are benefited by drinking cherry juice. Tart cherries contain a higher percentage of melatonin as compared to sweet cherries. Melatonin is also considered to be an ingredient that slows down the aging process.

Vitamin C
As every other fruit, cherry is also a rich source of vitamin C. Both types of cherries are high in vitamin C. Cherries vitamin C content helps to improve the immune system and reduces the risks of stroke. Vitamin C also helps to prevent cancer because researches say that vitamin C has the ability to kill cancer cells and also reduce the multiplication of cancer cells. Even ellagic acid and perillyl, present in cherries, have anticancer properties.

Read more on:

• Benefits of Cherry Juice
• Nutritional Value of Cherries

Other Health Benefits of Cherries
Cherries have proved to be beneficial in relieving pain caused due to health problems like gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Cherries are also used for gout treatment. Eating cherries on a daily basis has helped many of the patients to reduce the symptoms of gout. Cherries show laxative effects and hence are useful in treating constipation.

Read more on:

• Cherry Juice for Arthritis
• Cherry Juice for Gout
• Natural Laxatives as a Cure for Relieving Constipation

Cherries are part of a low carb diet. Hundred grams of cherries contain only 14 grams of carbohydrates. Other than being low in carb, cherries contain zero cholesterol and have ability to lower the level of bad cholesterol in our body. This reduces the risk of heart diseases and stroke. They are also low in fat, have negative calories and contain lot of water. Thus cherries are also beneficial for weight loss.

There are no significant side effects of cherries but excess consumption can trigger flatulence and upset stomach. From the above listed cherries nutritional benefits, it is clear that health benefits of cherries extend to almost all the human body systems that include the digestive system, the immune system and the cardiovascular system. They are rich in antioxidants, have anticancer properties and help to reduce risk of fatal diseases.