15 PROPERTIES OF CHERRIES FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2025

The health properties of cherries include: preventing cancer, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of obesity, reducing inflammation, improving arthritis, preventing Alzheimer's and premature aging, improving sleep and others that a I will explain to you below.

The particular flavor and aroma of the cherry has made it ideal to be widely used in confectionery and cosmetics. However, in addition to their lovely taste, cherries contain a large amount of bioactive nutrients that help improve health and even enhance physical performance in sports.

Cherries are the fruits of plants of the genus Prunus located in the Rosaceae family. This genus includes hundreds of species found in the northern temperate regions, with the United States, Turkey and Iran being the largest producers of this fruit.

Cherries are mainly composed of sugars, fiber, protein, potassium, fat, vitamins A, B and C, as well as pigments (β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, anthocyanin and quercetin), the latter of great interest in terms of their role as powerful antioxidants.

Each 100 grams of cherry provide only 63 kcal, much of this energy is provided mainly by sugars, proteins and a very small portion of lipids, which makes it a rich and nutritious option with a low calorie index.

Properties for the health of cherries

1- It reduces the chances of suffering from cancer

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Cherries have several components that help prevent the appearance of some types of cancer. Studies in mice in which colorectal cancer was induced showed that a diet with cherries was able to reduce the appearance of tumors.

In the laboratory it was also shown that the anthocyanins contained in cherries are capable of arresting the cell cycle in cell lines, this means that cherries can stop the uncontrolled proliferation of these malignant cells.

2.- Reduces the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases

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Laboratory studies showed that administering cherry extract to rats that induced heart attacks were less likely to cause heart damage compared to rats that did not consume the extract.

3.- Decreases the concentration of lipids in the blood and the risk of suffering from obesity

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In research work with laboratory rats fed diets rich in lipids, it was observed that animals that were additionally treated with cherry extracts reduced their levels of lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood.

In other work it was shown that anthocyanins inhibit the action of lipases in the digestive tract. This inhibition decreases the absorption of fats in the digestive process.

Additionally, in laboratory studies with adipocytes treated with anthocyanins, it has been observed that these cells reduce the accumulation of lipids.

Also, diets high in anthocyanins (components of cherries) increased the amount of vitamin E (antioxidant), a molecule associated with the protection of vital organs such as the liver, so that it can prevent diseases such as fatty liver.

Together, these findings indicate that the anthocyanins contained in cherries reduce the risk of obesity.

4.- Protects against diabetes and obesity

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Oxidative stress generates cell damage and is a process associated with the main complications of diabetes. Antioxidants such as those found in cherries (anthocyanins and quercetins) tend to lessen these symptoms and help reduce the risk of diabetes.

In laboratory studies, it was observed that in diabetic mice, the cherry diet induced the production of insulin, which was reflected in a decrease in blood glucose levels.

This protection against diabetes sounds contradictory, since as mentioned above, part of the composition of cherries is carbohydrates, however, these carbohydrates are low glycemic (they raise blood glucose little).

In this area it should be noted that canned products such as cherries in syrup would not have the antidiabetic and obesity protective effects described above, since they contain much more sugar and not have a low glycemic index.

5.- Reduces inflammation

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An important area in food research is that which has to do with the modulation of inflammation. Inflammation with its symptoms such as redness, heat, pain, and tumor is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps control infections and on the other, when it becomes chronic it brings many discomforts.

In the scientific community it is well known that chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a wide range of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and arthritis. The worst thing is that to stop the inflammation we turn to synthetic anti-inflammatories that in the long run generate other ills.

The components of cherries have been shown to inhibit enzymes that initiate inflammation in cells such as cyclooxygenases (COXs). In cell cultures, cherry extract was shown to have inhibitory effects on COX1 and COX2 and other biomarkers associated with inflammation.

6.- Helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis

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Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that affects almost 1% of the world's population, is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints.

In laboratory mice in which arthritis was induced, it was shown that anthocyanin treatment was able to reduce the serum concentration of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and prostaglandin E2.

The researchers tried to extrapolate the data to the human model in terms of the number of cherries needed to reproduce these results. They determined that for a 70kg person it would be necessary to consume 2800mg of anthocyanins per day, which would be equivalent to 35 cups of cherries per day (too much).

However, the scientists went further in exploring the effect of cherries on humans. They tested 280-gram (about 2.5 cups a day) cherry diets in adults for four weeks, analyzing the amount of C-reactive protein (marker of inflammation) in serum.

They found that the patients who had received the cherry diet had significantly reduced levels of C-reactive protein, indicating that the cherry diet significantly reduced inflammation levels.

7.- Decreases the probability of suffering from Alzheimer's

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Neural cell cultures exposed to cherry extracts have been shown to have a reduction in the production of free radicals (oxidative stress), the main agents of damage in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

Additionally, it has been shown that in laboratory rats treated with anthocyanins, short-term memory improved, indicating that cherries, in addition to their protective effect against oxidative stress, can improve memory.

8.- It will make you sleep well

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Melatonin is a molecule necessary to regulate our biological clock. When its production is altered by situations such as stress or depression our ability to sleep is altered.

Studies of the chemical composition of the cherry showed that the population of Montmorency cherries (Prunus cerasus) contains 1.35 µg of melatonin in 100g of the fruit. Although the values ​​for adequate sleep range from 2 to 5 mg of melatonin, the consumption of cherries plus physical activity could be an excellent combination to have adequate rest patterns.

9.- Helps reduce pain in the muscles from playing sports

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We have all suffered from muscle pain when doing physical activity. This pain is partly generated by oxidative stress generated in muscle cells during exercise. Cherries, having a high antioxidant content, help prevent or recover faster from this pain, increasing sports performance.

In a study with 54 runners it was shown that muscle pain caused by running decreased significantly when the runners consumed cherry juice.

The control of this experiment was artificial juice with the same concentration of sugar, red dye 40, citric acid, salt and calcium phosphate. The runners who took the placebo did not reduce pain.

The participants in this experiment were so pleased with the cherry juice results that they mentioned that they will include it in their daily diet.

10.- Helps prevent aging

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Part of the aging process is due to the generation of free radicals. These molecules, when generated in the body, react against other molecules such as DNA, causing damage to the information of the cells, which causes our tissues to age little by little.

Due to its large amount of antioxidants, cherries are a great ally in delaying the aging process.

11.- Helps prevent the risk of gout attacks

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Gout is a disease characterized by the accumulation of monosodium urate (a salt derived from uric acid), mainly in joints, causing inflammation with pain and intense redness in the affected area.

Dr. Yuqing Zhang, professor of medicine and public health at Boston University, recruited 633 gout patients and proved that those who consumed cherries for two days reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35% compared to those who did not consume the fruit.

Additionally, Dr. Yuging found that the combination of cherry consumption with treatment to reduce uric acid reduced gout attacks by 75%. Concluding that the consumption of cherry can be used as a therapeutic measure in patients with gout.

12.- Helps maintain healthy skin

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Due to its content of antioxidants and vitamin C, cherry helps to counteract the oxygen radicals produced by exposure to ultraviolet rays on the skin. In addition, the vitamin A contained in cherries is essential for the repair of the skin.

At present, cosmetic products based on cherry extracts are being commercialized due to their regenerative properties of the skin.

13.- Helps maintain alkalinity

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Cherry juice is alkaline due to the presence of potassium in its composition. The consumption of this juice can help maintain the alkaline pH that our blood should have.

14.- It helps you have a healthy vision

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Because of its vitamin A content, cherries help us improve visual acuity, since it is a precursor of rhodopsin, a pigment found in the rods of the retina of the eye that helps to capture light.

Additionally, several of the eye diseases involve oxidative stress, in part because the eyes are an exposed organ that is in contact with oxygen. In diseases such as maculopathy, it has been shown that antioxidants such as anthocyanins found in cherries could delay the symptoms of this disease.

15.- Helps you have healthy hair

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By containing a good amount of vitamin C, cherries can help us strengthen hair follicles and prevent root breakage, as well as stimulate the growth of new hair follicles.

Curiosities of cherries

• The Rosaceae family is related to the most exotic fruits: strawberries, peaches, raspberries.
• In many cultures cherries have been considered an aphrodisiac food.
• The productive life of a cherry tree is 20 years.
• The Greeks and Romans appreciated and spread the consumption of cherries throughout Europe
• It is one of the most used fruits to decorate desserts.
• The amount of antioxidant components in cherries increases with greater sun exposure.
• Despite the fact that cherries do not contain more antioxidants than blueberries, the worldwide production of cherries (2.41 million tons) is almost 10 times greater than that of blueberries (273 thousand tons), making their availability greater.

References

1. McCune, LM, Kubota, C., Stendell-Hollis, NR, Thomson, C. a., 2010. Cherries and Health: A Review. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 51, 1–12.
2. Bell, PG, Mchugh, MP, Stevenson, E., Howatson, G., 2014. The role of cherries in exercise and health. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sport. 24, 477-490.
3. Kang, SY, Serram, NP, Nair, MG, Bourquin, LD (2003). Tart cherry anthocyanins inhibit tumor development in ApcMin mice and reduce proliferation of human colon cancer cells. Cancer Letters 194: 13–19.
4. Heo, HJ, Kim, DO, Choi, SJ, Shin, DH, and Lee, CY (2004). Potent inhibitory effect of flavonoids in Scutellaria baicalensis on amyloid β proteininduced neurotoxicity. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52: 4128-4132.
5. Badria, FA (2002). Melatonin, serotonin, and tryptamine in some Egyptian food and medicinal plants. J. Med. Food 5 (3): 153–157.
6. Wu, X., Beecher, GR, Holden, JM, Haytowitz, DB, Gebhardt, SE, and Prior, RL (2006). Concentrations of Anthocyanins in Common Foods in the United States and Estimation of Normal Consumption. J Agric Food Chem.