Cherries are the quintessential Summer fruit. At Yarra Valley Cherries, we grow over 30 varieties of them. We pick and grade all the fruit on the farm, ensuring the freshest premium fruit in Melbourne. Fresh, juicy, sweet and super flavoursome, everyone loves eating cherries on any occasion, from a picnic to being outdoors at the beach or a sporting event. Did you know though, that there are so many health benefits to eating cherries. Below is just 7 of the many nutritional benefits to enjoying these stunning fruits.
1. Cherries have lots of antioxidants
Antioxidants help guard the body from aging and ward off chronic illness such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and obesity. Cherries contain many types of antioxidants including melatonin, phenols, quercetin and anthocyanin. All these antioxidants help to protect the body from many harmful diseases.
2. Cherries protect against diabetes
Cherries help to protect the body from diabetes due to the anti-inflammatory effects. They also rank lower on the glycemic index than many fruits so they don’t trigger spikes and crashes in blood sugar and insulin levels.
3. Cherries promote healthy sleep
As cherries contain melatonin (a hormone that helps control sleep cycles), they help to regulate sleep patterns. Studies have shown that just a cup of cherry juice in the morning and an hour before bed increased sleep time by over an hour.
4. Cherries can provide arthritis relief
Cherries have been shown through various studies to lessen joint pain in arthritis suffers. Incorporating cherries as a snack or into your meal will be beneficial for obtaining the health benefits.
5. Cherries lower the risk of gout attacks
Gout is an inflammatory arthritis trigger when uric acid crystallises within joints. This can cause a lot of pain and swelling in the joints. Consumption of cherries has been shown to reduce the risk of gout attacks.
6. Cherries help curb cholesterol
Cherries, particularly cherry juice has been shown to lower total cholesterol. Any reduction in cholesterol lowers the risk of heart disease.
7. Cherries reduce post-exercise pain
Cherries protect against the cellular wear and tear from exercise and supports muscle recovery. Having some cherries before or after a workout will help support recovery.
How to get the maximum benefits of cherries
When in season, eating fresh cherries is the best way to obtain the nutritional benefits of cherries. However, you can also enjoy frozen cherries and cherry juice to obtain all the benefits. You can use frozen cherries in smoothies, chia puddings, salads and any food dishes you would use another fruit. Add cherry juice to sparkling water for a refreshing drink or mix with other fruit juices for a fruit punch.