The health benefits of cherries are probably not something you consider when you pick up a punnet of these delicious little fruits. Yet they could be great for your health for a number of reasons that you´re probably unaware of. Here are just some of the surprising health benefits of cherries …
1. VAST VITAMIN A
One of the great health benefits of cherries is their high Vitamin A content. In fact, cherries contain almost 20 times more Vitamin A than either blueberries or strawberries! Also known as beta carotene, this particular vitamin is useful for immunity, vision, and the skin.
2. SUPER SLEEP
Are you prone to sleep problems? Then surprisingly, the humble little cherry could be a big help! Cherries contain melatonin, which helps regulate sleep, but is not found in many foods. So if you´re having trouble sleeping, try consuming some cherries regularly and see if they help you head off to slumberland !
3. BRAIN BOOSTER
Are you feeling a little forgetful? Whatever your age, your brain needs help to ward off memory loss, and this is where cherries come in. They´re actually known as “brain food” because they contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which are known to be good for the brain. So chomp those cherries and boost your brain power!
4. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Another of the significant health benefits of cherries is their anti-inflammatory properties. There are two groups of people who may be helped by this factor. One is athletes and runners, who may be aching after exercise, and the other is arthritis sufferers. If you suffer from this painful condition, try diluted tart cherry juice three times daily.
5. CANCER
While a cure for cancer may be a long way off, it´s worth trying anything that may contribute towards protecting your body from this terrible illness. Cherries may be a factor in helping protect you. Again, it´s their antioxidant content; this time it´s one called cyaniding, which works to deal with the free radicals that cause cell and tissue damage.
6. HEALTHY HEART
Anything that is good for your heart is worth eating, and you should never think it´s too early to start looking after the health of your heart. It´s got to last you a lifetime, so make sure it´s a long and healthy one! And cherries can help here as well. There are many risk factors for heart disease, and cherries work on reducing all of them.
7. DIABETES
Another of the health benefits of cherries is that they help reduce the risk of diabetes. Again it´s the anthocyanins, which are believed to increase the production of insulin. Of course, you should consume a generally healthy diet and avoid too much sugar – cherries on their own can´t compensate for a poor diet!
There are lots more health benefits of cherries; here I´ve only been able to give some of them. So, not only are cherries tasty, but really good for your health as well! If you just thought of these juicy little fruits as nice to eat, discovering the many health benefits of cherries should convince you that there´s more to them. Do you consume enough fruit, or do you fail miserably to include enough in your diet, even though you know how good it is for you?
article source: http://health.allwomenstalk.com/health-benefits-of-cherries/