Cherries – The small red fruits with big health benefits

Top 5 proven benefits of cherries

Cherries are one of the oldest cultivated fruit crops on the planet thought to date back to around 300B.C. Native to the warmer areas of Eastern Europe, cherries are in fact part of the same family of plants as the rose. There are many different subspecies of cherries each with their own unique look, taste and range of health benefits.

Eating cherries can aid with sleep – Cherries are packed full of a substance known as melatonin, melatonin is a hormone that helps us to regulate sleep. Our bodies do naturally produce melatonin, but only at night when we are in dark surroundings. Adding foods that are rich in melatonin to your diet is an easy and safe way to ensure a good night's sleep.

Cherries help us to control and lower blood pressure – The high potassium content of cherries makes them a great choice for anyone suffering from high blood pressure. In addition to potassium cherries also contain quercetin an antioxidant that helps to protect blood vessels throughout the body.

Control gout with cherries – A number of recent studies have shown the benefits of cherries for people suffering from gout a condition caused by excess uric acid crystals building up around joints. Patients that drunk just 200ml of cherry juice a day showed a dramatic improvement.

Can cherries help with pain relief? A recent study at Michigan state university came to the conclusion that cherries can be as effective in pain relief as aspirin and 20 cherries could reduce inflammation more so than ibuprofen.

Protection from some forms of cancer – The powerful combination of boron, vitamin beta carotene as well as some of the most powerful antioxidants found in nature make cherries a formidable defense against many forms of cancer. Many of the healthy properties of cherries are found in the skin so be sure not to peel it away before eating.

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