Cherries are not only delicious but also offer a plethora of health benefits. These fruits come in both sweet and sour varieties, making them an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, just 100 grams of pitted cherries provide about one-fourth of the recommended daily intake of this essential vitamin.
But that’s not all – cherries are also rich in dietary fiber, which can help with satiety and promote normal intestinal activity due to the presence of pectin in their fibers. When it comes to minerals, cherries are packed with essential nutrients like potassium, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. These minerals play crucial roles in maintaining normal heart activity, reducing high blood pressure, building strong bones and teeth, and regulating sleep.
In addition to their nutritional benefits, cherries have long been recognized for their pain-relieving properties in traditional folk medicine. Cherry juice is particularly known for its pain-relieving effects. Furthermore, cherries contain a substance similar to the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep and may explain why consuming cherries is linked to improvements in insomnia.
Mariana Auerbach, director of the nutrition and diet unit at Dan-Pat district’s general hospital highlights the numerous health benefits of cherries and emphasizes that they make an excellent addition to a healthy diet.