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Home Vegetarian Cooking 101 Ingredient Guides

9 Reasons to Eat More Cherries

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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Dec 02, 2019 5 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

9 cherry benefits that will make you want a handful right now, including a whole host of health benefits, a bunch of delicious varieties, and easy flavors to pair with them.

We’re kicking off two weeks of sweet, sweet cherry exploration! And just in case you need another reason to be eating cherries this summer, here are nine cherry benefits to get the week started!

Close up photo of cherries on white background

1. Cherries have anthocyanins

The bright red color of cherries is due to anthocyanins, which are great antioxidants! Antioxidants fight against potentially damaging free radicals (which are basically molecules with unshared electrons that float around wreaking havoc).

2. They contain anti-inflammatories

Cherries also contain anti-inflammatories, so they’re a good post-workout snack to ease the inflammation and soreness.

3. They’re full of beta-carotene

Cherries contain beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A which helps keep your vision (especially night vision) and skin healthy!

4. Cherries are high in pectin

High pectin in the cherries mean they’re full of soluble fiber. This is the fiber that helps reduce cholesterol.

Closeup photo of cherries

5. They help you sleep

Cherries can help you sleep! A study had participants drink ¼ cup of tart cherry juice at morning and night. They found that those who drank the juice slept longer.

6. They can help reduce blood pressure

Cherries reduce blood pressure. Cherries contain nitric oxide, which widens your blood vessels, reducing the pressure on them and reducing your blood pressure (= GOOD!)

7. They go well with everything

Cherries go well with everything! I’m sure you’re used to cherry pie, but did you know cherries can also pair with savory things? Here are a few flavor pairs to try out this summer:

  • Black pepper
  • Chocolate (duh)
  • Apricot
  • Nectarine/peach
  • Citrus (especially lime and orange)

8. There are many varieties to choose from

There are SO MANY varieties to choose from. Here are a few:

  • Bing: Being the most popular sweet cherries, these are large, dark red/purple, and ultra-sweet
  • Lambert: This second most popular variety is a bit smaller but just as sweet as the bing
  • Maraschino: Cherries that have been bleached then soaked in high fructose corn syrup and dyed bright red. When it comes to cherries, it doesn’t get more natural than this.
  • Rainier: Being more mild in flavor than the Bing, and with a yellow/pink skin, these are usually the ones that are turned into maraschinos.
  • Sour cherries: This is a whole class of cherry that is usually grown for the purpose of canning or freezing.

9. They’re in season!

They’re in season from May to August (depending on the type), so reap the cherry benefits and eat up!

Bowl od cherries on white background

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  1. Anouk says

    Posted on 6/29 at 9:40 pm

    And did you know that only the tart cherries help you sleep better because they contain loads of tryptophan, the amino acid your brain needs to make serotonin and melatonin!
    *I read the study #nerd

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/1 at 6:22 pm

      Hahah (Anouk et al., 2017) 😉

  2. Nutrindo Ideias says

    Posted on 1/6 at 6:06 am

    Such an inspring article about the cherries.

    Reply
  3. Khadijah tul Kubra says

    Posted on 6/27 at 1:45 am

    Very well written article indeed, thanks a lot for sharing such crucial information. It could be helpful for me to control my blood pressure.

    Reply
  4. Brad says

    Posted on 8/23 at 11:26 am

    Cherries are one of the few foods used in human clinical trials that have been proven to work for inflammatory diseases. Anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory substances found in tart cherry juice, may aid in the treatment of conditions such as arthritis and gout. Additionally, sour cherry juice contains significant amounts of flavonoids, a kind of polyphenol with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Make sure the cherries are of the montmorency variety.

    Reply

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