It is the season again and I saw Cherries in the supermarkets. I love this fruit because of its sweet sour taste and it is great for binging. The fruits are bite size so it is so easy to finish a box of it without even knowing it has gone down the stomach.
I started to look at the things I eat after I went through the recent surgery. I am not paranoid but find it very interesting to note the facts about what I put into my mouth. There are things which I love to eat and they are rubbish. Of course I acknowledge that at times I need to have rubbish to make my Mind happy, not that my Body needs it.
So now I went searching what cherries will do for me and found interesting facts.
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Cherries are one of the very low calorie fruits; however, are rich source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Both sweet as well as tart cherries are packed with numerous health benefiting compounds that are essential for wellness.
Cherries are pigment rich fruits. These pigments, in fact, are polyphenolic flavonoid compounds known as anthocyanin glycosides. Anthocyanins are red, purple or blue pigments found in many fruits and vegetables, especially concentrated in their skin, known to have powerful anti-oxidant properties.
Scientific studies have shown that anthocyanins in the cherries are found to act like anti-inflammatory agents by blocking the actions of cyclooxygenase-1, and 2 enzymes. Thus, consumption of cherries has potential health effects against chronic painful episodes such as gout arthritis, painful muscle condition and sports injuries.
Research studies also suggest that anti-oxidant compounds in tart cherries help the human body to fight against cancers, aging and neurological diseases, and pre-diabetes condition.
Cherry fruits are very rich in stable anti-oxidant melatonin. Melatonin can cross the blood-brain barrier easily and produces soothing effects on the brain neurons, calming down nervous system irritability, which helps relieve neurosis, insomnia and headache conditions.
Further, they are also mild source of zinc, moderate sources of iron, potassium, and manganese and good source of copper. Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral; an important component of cell and body fluids that regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
The fruits, especially tart cherries are exceptionally rich in health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic anti-oxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and beta carotene. These compounds act as protective scavengers against harmful free radicals and reactive
oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers
and various disease processes.
Anti-inflammatory property of cherries has been found effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors by scavenging action against free radicals.
Acerola or West Indian cherry has exceptionally very high levels of vitamin-C (1677.6 mg per 100 g or 2796 % of RDA) and vitamin-A (767 IU per 100 g).
That is why doctors advise to eat fruits with different skin colors. Many of us like to eat only fruit and peeled off the skin but the best nutrients are in the skins.
