History of Cherries

Wonderful Health Benefits and Uses Of Cherries originated in Asia Minor, in the fertile area between the Black and Caspian Seas, and was probably carried to Europe by birds. Cultivation began with Greeks, and was increased and expanded by Romans. Trees were planted along roadsides and were valued for their timber as well as their fruit. Sweet cherries came to the U.S. with English colonists in 1629, and later were introduced to California by Spanish missionaries. In the 1800s, sweet cherries were moved west by pioneers and fur traders to their major sites of production in Washington, Oregon, and California. Cultivars selected at that time still form the base of the industry today.

Varieties of Cherry

There are two main cherry species. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) often sold at fresh food grocers as fresh cherries and sour cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) also known as tart cherries. Sour cherries are more commonly consumed through processed products such as juices, or preserved to be later used in cooking and for making cherry brandy. Today there are more than 50 cherry varieties grown and many more are being developed in Australia. The specific varieties available on the Australian market, such as the Merchant, Ron Seedling, Bing, Lapin, Sweetheart and Sweet Georgia, vary in colour from light to deep red and almost black. The rarer Rainier ‘white’ cherry, another sweet variety, has a beautiful creamy yellow skin with a red blush. Sour cherries, on the other hand are more commonly grown in Europe, although there are some plantations in Victoria and Tasmania. The most well known variety of sour cherry is the Morello.

Red Power

Cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins. These belong to a large family of phytonutrients called flavonoids, linked to a variety of health benefits, and provide cherries with their deep, rich red colour. The potential health benefits of cherries first came to light in the 1990s, when a number of studies were published describing the antioxidant content of this fruit. Spurred on by what was then anecdotal evidence that cherries alleviated the pain of arthritis and gout, researchers discovered that cherries had high antioxidant activity. Since then, in vitro research conducted in 2001 at the Michigan State University found that cherries were the richest sources of certain anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside as compared to various berries, including red raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, containing 30 to 40 milligrams of anthocyanins in every 100 grams of fruit.

A True Super Fruit

Researchers continue to explore the existence of “superfruits” – a unique group of nutrient-rich fruits that contain natural compounds shown to have potential disease-fighting properties. Few fruits fall into this category, but the cherry should be considered one of them. Emerging research shows fresh cherries are a rich source of certain antioxidants and contain other phytonutrients – plant pigments that have been linked to a variety of health promoting benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetes, and anti-obesity effects. Cherries provide a unique combination of phytonutrients in one package that work together to deliver health benefits not available in antioxidant supplements or pills.

Cherry Nutrition Facts

In addition to being a good source of vitamin C, cherries are also high in iron, potassium, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. Anthocyanins found in cherries block inflammatory enzymes, reducing pain. In fact, 20 cherries are 10 times as potent as aspirin and have positive effects on gout and arthritis pain. All in a small package that’s low in calories and contains no fat or sodium. Sweet cherries are also considered to be excellent sources of boron. Boron consumption, coupled with calcium and magnesium, has been linked to increased bone health.

5 Benefits of Cherries

1. Heart Disease

A growing body of science links the anthocyanins found in cherries to heart-health benefits. Living with some form of heart disease, the heart-healthy qualities of red pigments from plant foods have more relevance than ever!
Recent research with animals revealed that cherry-enriched diets lowered risk factors for heart disease, such as reducing total blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while slightly raising high-density lipoproteins (HDL) – the “good” cholesterol. Additionally, a US investigation from the Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Centre in California found healthy men and women who supplemented their diets with 280 grams of sweet cherries (approximately 45 cherries) for 28 days had a 25 percent reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker which is associated with cardiovascular disease.

2. Cancer Prevention

Several researchers have attributed cancer-preventative properties to antioxidants found in plant foods. In 2004, researchers investigated the effects of 10 different fruit extracts (including from sweet cherries) on the cell proliferation of colon and breast cancer cells in the test tube. The results showed that the fruit extracts decreased the growth of both colon cancer cells (HT29) and breast cancer cells. A similar finding, using sour cherries or isolated anthocyanins for colon cancer cells was also reported by researchers at Michigan State University. Further these researchers conducted a feeding study with mice which showed a significantly lower number of tumours in the caecum among animals fed sour cherries as compared to a control diet, although there was no significant reduction in tumours of the small intestine or colon. Surprisingly, supplementing the diet of mice with anthocyanins produced significantly fewer tumours at all three sites of the intestine (small intestine, caecum, colon). The researchers suggested that “…sour cherry anthocyanins may reduce the risk of colon cancer”.

3. Arthritis & Gout

Gout is a common form of arthritis characterised by recurrent attacks of pain, swelling and redness in joints. Gout occurs when uric acid builds up in the bloodstream and uric acid crystals are deposited in the joints.
For decades, cherries have quietly grown a devoted fan base of arthritis and gout sufferers, who routinely consume the fruit to help soothe their symptoms. In fact, the suggestion that cherries might assist with arthritis and gout was first proposed in the 1950s. Preliminary research found that daily cherry consumption (approximately 4.5 cups of cherries) helped to relieve “gout attacks” and the pain associated with arthritis. Interestingly, after eating cherries, the patients in the study had lower blood levels of uric acid. Since then, several small-scale studies have confirmed this anti-arthritis link with cherries. A US investigation found that healthy women (aged 20-40 years) who consumed two servings of Bing sweet fresh cherries (about 45 cherries) for breakfast experienced a 15 percent reduction in blood uric acid levels, suggesting that natural substances in Bing sweet cherries may help reduce arthritic inflammation.

4. Weight Management

Irrespective of height or build, if excess fat accumulates around the waistline, there is an increased risk of developing chronic disease, such as some cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
In 2009, researchers at the University of Michigan found animals fed a cherrycontaining diet over a 12-week period, were able to reduce their total body fat by 18 percent, in particular the “belly fat” that is most often associated with heart disease risk. Similarly, another study found that feeding anthocyanins to mice on high-fat diets suppressed diet-induced increases in body weight, and normalised elevated blood glucose (sugar), insulin and lipid (fat) levels induced by the high fat diet.

5. Diabetes

Not only are cherries an antioxidant powerhouse; fresh sour cherries have a low Glycemic Index (GI) score of 22, and fresh sweet cherries have an intermediate GI of 63. The GI ranks carbohydrate foods according to their effect on blood sugar levels. Choosing low GI foods results in smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. A low GI diet is suggested to be a key to long-term health, reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. One animal study showed that a single dose of anthocyanins decreased fasting blood glucose levels by 19 percent and improved glucose tolerance by 29 percent in moderately diabetic rats. After four weeks of treatment with anthocyanins, fasting blood glucose levels had dropped to half of the pre-treatment levels and glucose tolerance had improved by up to 41 percent. In 2009 Seymour et al conducted an animal study over a three month period and showed that a diet supplemented with anthocyanin-rich sour cherries was associated with significantly reduced body weight, abdominal fat, reduced blood lipids (fats), and reduced fasting blood sugar levels when compared to the control diet. The researchers in this study concluded from these results that sour cherries may reduce the degree of risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Ref Link: http://www.plantshospital.com/wonderful-health-benefits-uses-cherries/