The Properties of cherries For health include: preventing cancer, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of obesity, reducing inflammation, improving arthritis, preventing Alzheimer's disease and premature aging, improving sleep and others I will explain later.
The particular taste and aroma of the cherry has made it ideal to be widely used in pastries and cosmetics. However, in addition to its lovely flavor, 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 family Rosaceae. This genus includes hundreds of species found in the temperate regions of the north, and the United States, Turkey and Iran are the largest producers of this fruit.
Cherries are composed mainly 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 their role As powerful antioxidants.
Each 100 grams of cherry provides only 63 kcal, much of this energy is provided primarily by sugars, proteins and a tiny portion of lipids, making it a rich and nutritious option with a low calorie content.
Properties for the health of cherries
1- Decrease chances of getting cancer
Cherries have several components that help prevent the appearance of some types of cancer . Studies in mice that were induced colorectal cancer demonstrated that a diet with cherries was able to reduce the onset of tumors.
The laboratory also showed that anthocyanins contained in cherries are capable of arresting the cell cycle in cell lines, which means that cherries can cause the uncontrolled proliferation of these malignant cells to stop.
2.- Reduces the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases
Laboratory studies showed that the administration of cherry extract to rats that were induced heart attacks were less likely to cause damage to the heart compared to rats that did not consume the extract.
3.- It reduces the concentration of lipids in blood and the risk of being obese
In research studies with laboratory rats fed lipid-rich diets, it was observed that animals that were additionally treated with extracts of cherries reduced their levels of Lipids (Cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood.
In another paper 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.
In addition, in laboratory studies with Adipocytes Treated with anthocyanins, these cells have been observed to reduce lipid accumulation.
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 it can avoid diseases such as fatty liver .
Overall, these findings indicate that anthocyanins contained in cherries reduce the risk of obesity.
4.- Protects against diabetes and obesity
Oxidative stress generates cellular damage and is a process associated with the main complications of Diabetes . Antioxidants such as those found in cherries (anthocyanins and quercetins) tend to decrease these symptoms and help reduce the risk of diabetes.
In laboratory studies it was observed that in diabetic mice the cherry diet induced insulin production, 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 are carbohydrates, however, these carbohydrates are low glycemic index (they raise little blood glucose).
In this area it should be noted that preserved products such as cherries in syrup would not have the antidiabetic and protective effects of obesity described above, since they contain much more sugar and not low glycemic index.
5.- Reduce inflammation
An important area of food research is the modulation of inflammation. Inflammation with its symptoms like blushing, heat, pain and tumor is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps to control infections and on the other hand, when it becomes chronic causes numerous 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 disease, 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 Cyclooxygenase (COXs). In cell cultures it was shown that cherry extract had inhibitory effects on COX1 and COX2 and other biomarkers associated with inflammation.
6.- Helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that affects nearly 1% of the world's population, is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints.
In laboratory mice treated with arthritis, anthocyanin treatment was shown to decrease the serum concentration of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and prostaglandin E2.
The researchers tried to extrapolate the data to the human model as to the amount of cherries needed to replicate these results. They determined that for a person of 70kg it would be necessary to consume 2800mg of anthocyanins a day, which would equal 35 cups of cherries a day (too much).
However, scientists went further in exploring the effect of cherries on humans. They tested adult cherry diets weighing 280 grams (about 2.5 cups a day) for four weeks, analyzing the amount of C-reactive protein (marker of inflammation) in serum.
They found that patients who had received the cherry diet had significantly reduced C-reactive protein , Indicating that the diet with cherries significantly reduces inflammation levels.
7.- It decreases the probability of suffering Alzheimer's
Neuronal cell cultures exposed to cherry extracts have been shown to have a reduction in the production of free radicals (oxidative stress), major agents of cell damage. Alzheimer disease And in other neurodegenerative diseases such as The parkinson .
In addition, it has been shown that short-term memory improved in laboratory rats treated with anthocyanins, indicating that cherries in addition to their protective effect against oxidative stress Improve memory .
8.- It will make you sleep well.
The Melatonin Is a molecule necessary to regulate our biological clock. When their 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 cherries Montmorency (Prunus cerasus) contains 1.35 μg of melatonin in 100g of the fruit. Although sleep values adequately range from 2 to 5 mg of melatonin, consumption of cherries plus physical activity could be an excellent combination to have adequate rest patterns.
9.- It helps to reduce the pain in the muscles by practicing sport
We have all suffered from muscle pain when performing physical activity. This pain is in part generated by the 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 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 consumed the placebo Did not reduce pain.
The participants of this experiment were so pleased by the results of the cherry juice that they mentioned that they will include it in their daily diet.
10.- Helps prevent aging
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 that little by little our tissues age.
Because of its large amount of antioxidants cherries are a great ally to delay the aging process.
11.- Helps prevent the risk of gout attacks
The drop Is a disease characterized by the accumulation of monosodium urate (salt derived from uric acid), mainly in joints causing inflammation with pain and intense redness in the affected area.
Dr. Yuqing Zhang, a professor of medicine and public health at Boston University, recruited 633 patients with gout and found that those who consumed cherries for two days reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35% compared to those who did not fruit.
In addition, Dr. Yuging found that combining cherry consumption with uric acid reduction treatment reduced gout attacks by 75%. Concluding that cherry consumption can be used as a therapeutic measure in patients with gout.
12.- Helps maintain healthy skin
For its content of Antioxidants And vitamin C cherry helps counteract the oxygen radicals produced by exposure to ultraviolet rays on the skin. In addition, the vitamin A contained in the cherries is indispensable for the repair of the skin.
Cosmetic products based on extracts of cherries are currently being marketed because of their regenerating properties of the skin.
13.-Helps maintain alkalinity
The juice of cherries is alkaline because of the presence of potassium in its composition. Consuming this juice can help maintain the alkaline pH our blood should have.
14.- Helps you to have a healthy vision
Because of its vitamin A content, cherries help us improve visual acuity, as it is a precursor to rhodopsin, a pigment found in retina Of the eye that help the capture of light.
Additionally, several 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 like anthocyanins found in cherries could delay the symptoms of this disease.
15.- It helps you to have healthy hair
By containing a good amount of vitamin C, cherries can help us strengthen the hair follicles and prevent root breakage, in addition to stimulating the growth of new Hair follicles .
Curiosities of cherries
- The Rosaceae family is related to the most exotic fruits: strawberries, raspberry peaches.
- In many cultures cherries have been considered as an aphrodisiac food.
- The productive life of a cherry tree is 20 years.
- The Greeks and Romans appreciated and extended the consumption of cherries throughout Europe
- It is one of the fruits most used to decorate desserts.
- The amount of antioxidant components in cherries increases to greater sun exposure.
- Although cherries contain no more antioxidants than blueberries, world production of cherries (2.41 million tonnes) is almost 10 times greater than that of blueberries (273 thousand tonnes), which makes them more available.
And what other benefits of cherries do you know?
References
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