Facts about Cherries
The cherry is a popular fruit, because they embody sweet flavor of summer. Cherries are available in varieties of sweet and sour from cherry plants of all sizes. The cherry months are short and heralds the start of stone fruit months. Cherries have among the shortest growing months, from end of May to June. Cherry trees vary from 6-30 feet. They have leaves in dark green with fruit and bark in red.
The most famous sweet varieties include Bing, Brooks and Rainier. Montmorency and Morello are the two main varieties of sour cherries. Rainier cherries have a striking look, with light pink and yellow fruit flesh. Other varieties of sweet cherries are generally in dark red.
Health Benefits of Eating Cherries
- Cherries help activate the release of digestive juices as well as the urine and are generally powerful cleansers of the kidneys and liver.
- Consuming large amount of cherries, from 1/2 lb or more every day lessens the pain related to arthritis. It additionally provides relief to people with gout, a condition that is known to have caused by an excessive amount of uric acid present in the body.
- Cherries are the exclusive organic sources of a compound known as Melatonin, which is important for strong immune system and a normal sleeping pattern in people. According to a study, drinking cherry juice helps extend your sleep by 25 minutes. Research also indicates that individuals who encounter heart attacks generally have low melatonin levels. Besides, low melatonin levels also cause insomnia and irritation for children experiencing Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD. Research also indicates that high amounts of melatonin, which is normally produced only by our body may be associated with a slower process of aging as it is a strong antioxidant.
- Frequent consumption of cherry fruit or cherry juice can help protect against cancer in organs as well as glands that have epithelial tissue due to the great beta carotene content.
- Research conducted recently by the University of Michigan shows new proof relating cherries to health benefits of heart. The research discovered that a cherry-enriched diet reduced total weight, excess fat (particularly the belly fat), inflammation as well as cholesterol levels -- all the risk factors related to cardiovascular disease. Being obese, particularly when the body weight is gathered at the center, is usually a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Cherries are excellent antioxidant fruit as they have an essential antioxidant known as Anthocyanin that helps reduce LDL cholesterol and also vascular headaches, thus lowering the chance of getting heart problems. Anthocyanin also helps lower oxidative stress by wiping out free radicals within your body. The presence of free radicals may result in numerous chronic and autoimmune illnesses.
- Besides the previously listed cherry health benefits, numerous scientific research on the prospective benefits of frequent cherry consumption has been done simultaneously by various research institutes and also the Cherry Research Committee, which is the health study unit of the Cherry Marketing Institute, located in Lansing Michigan.
How to Choose and Buy Cherries?
- Select cherries with firm, smooth and shiny skins. Generally the deeper the red, the higher the quality (which is the sign of ripeness for the majority cherry varieties).
- Also examine the stems, they have to be green and versatile; they become woody and brown in color when kept in storage.
How to Store Cherries?
- Pack unwashed cherries loosely in a plastic bag or arrange them in one layer in a pan and seal with plastic wrap to avoid bruising.
- Cherries can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. Examine the fruit from time to time and take out the cherries that turn bad.
- You may freeze cherries by washing and draining properly, scattering them in one layer on a baking sheet and keeping in the freezer until the next day. After the cherries are completely frozen, put them into a plastic bag. The fruit can then be kept for a year.
Cherry Fruit Side Effects
Eating sweet cherries should be safe for most adults. The fruit may sometimes cause allergy in individuals who are sensitive.
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