Do not give up this berry.
The cherry season lasts until mid-September. This berry has a sweet-sour, tart taste and contains many vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants. It is very useful for health promotion, including for the prevention of heart and vascular diseases.
Remember the magic «rejuvenating» apples? There is some truth in every fairy tale. Fruits, berries and vegetables contain many substances that help our bodies resist aging and impending diseases. The effect, of course, is not as striking as in a fairy tale. But with the correct and regular use of seasonal berries, fruits and vegetables, when they contain the maximum benefit, you can achieve impressive results. For example, to reduce blood pressure, «bad» cholesterol, inflammatory processes in arthritis, gout, treat anemia, improve digestion and normalize sleep. Cherry is capable of all this.
Vitamins, trace elements and biologically active substances in cherries
Useful substances are found in fruits, stalks, leaves and even in the bark of cherries. Therefore, if a cherry grows in your garden, you are the happy owner of a whole range of medicinal products.
100 grams of cherries contain
- From 0.15 mg to 0.5 mg of folic acid , which is needed for the growth, development and functioning of the circulatory and immune systems, preservation of DNA integrity (therefore, eating cherries can be considered a kind of prevention of tumor development), amino acid synthesis. Folic acid is necessary during pregnancy for gestation and prevention of fetal pathologies.
- From 70 mg to 250 mg of vitamins P, PP or niacin (depending on the color of the berries, the darker, the more P-active compounds), these vitamins support the functioning of the liver, in particular its ability to neutralize toxic substances, health of the skin and hair, strengthen capillaries, help normalize sleep, are needed for carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism.
- Vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 are necessary for the nervous system, hematopoiesis, heart function, prevention of depression, hormone synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism
- 10 mg of vitamin C — this vitamin is needed for the synthesis of collagen, which is the main building material for the tissues of blood vessels, bones, teeth, cartilage, connective tissues, and nerve fibers.
- Vitamin A (carotene) — it is believed that in one glass of cherries there is about half the daily dose of vitamin A. This is the strongest antioxidant that participates in oxidative processes, is necessary for bones, teeth, and cell formation.
- 0, 12 mg of copper this trace element is necessary for the transport of oxygen
- 3 mg of iron , so cherries are great for anemia
- Cherries are rich in pectin , which removes excess cholesterol from the body, toxins formed as a result of metabolism and received from the outside. Including heavy metal salts.
Effects of oxidative stress on the heart and blood vessels
Our body fights against oxidative stress every second. Right now, when you are reading these lines, you are breathing and oxidation processes are taking place, free radicals are formed — active oxygen molecules with one unpaired electron. A certain amount of such high-energy oxygen molecules is necessary for the body to fight viruses and bacteria, activate enzymes, and synthesize hormones. The problem is that free radicals can both be formed inside the body, as a result of metabolism and chemical reactions, and come from the outside: formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, atmospheric pollution, water, radiation, contact with toxic substances, and so on. If there are too many free radicals, and our own antioxidant system cannot cope, then cell structures are oxidized, DNA molecules are damaged, and this leads to the fact that cells can no longer function normally, the work of tissues consisting of these cells is disrupted, and then organs composed of these tissues. When free radical oxidation damages vascular endotheliocytes, the development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis begins. Reactive oxygen species formed as a result of oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with age-related endothelial dysfunction, when the vascular endothelium is in a pro-inflammatory state, vasoconstriction increases, that is, the vascular lumens narrow, the vascular walls are damaged, which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and its complications.
Cherries against free radicals, inflammation and pain
American scientists have conducted studies that have shown that taking cherry juice without sugar for 12 weeks reduces the number of biomarkers of oxidative stress in older people (65-80 years old). But it is people from the older age group that are most susceptible to oxidative stress, since with age, its own antioxidant system ceases to capture and neutralize excess free radicals. In the same study, it was found that taking cherry juice without sugar increases the activity of repair, i.e., DNA repair, and reduces the level of C-reactive protein — one of the main markers of general inflammation. It must be said that the anti-inflammatory effect of cherries has been known for a long time. These berries contain special substances — anthocyanins, which reduce inflammation and have an analgesic effect. Therefore, cherries and cherry juice are recommended for people with gout, arthritis, rheumatic joint lesions.
What else causes the cardioprotective properties of cherries?
Cherry contains a whole range of valuable components that have a beneficial effect on the work of the heart and blood vessels.
- 0.6 to 3.3. mg of coumarins — substances that can make the blood thinner and delay the formation of blood clots. Coumarins are found in both berries and leaves. Therefore, adding cherry leaves to tea is useful for everyone who has such diseases (or a predisposition to them) as atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and so on.
- Quercitin and isoquercitin — and other flavonoids give cherries a deep, dark red, burgundy color. These substances are also powerful antioxidants that protect us from premature aging, the development of diseases of the heart, brain, blood vessels, has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps to normalize blood pressure.
- 300 mg of potassium, essential for heart function, maintaining normal blood pressure
How many cherries can you eat per day and when it is not recommended to eat cherries
- Do not eat more than 100 grams of cherries or drink more than 100 grams of cherry juice at one time. Please note that tart cherry juice without sugar has healing properties.
- If you have exacerbations of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, then cherries and its juice are contraindicated.
- Possible individual intolerance to this berry and allergic reactions.
- It is also worth remembering that cherries (and cherries) in large quantities can cause diarrhea.
- Cherries contain a large amount of fruit acids, so after eating berries or drinking juice, you should rinse your mouth. You can brush your teeth no earlier than after half an hour, so as not to damage the enamel of the teeth.