Cherries- The Overlooked Superfood & Their Anti-Cancer Properties (Not Copy & Pasted)

You've probably heard about superfoods such as Spirulina, Wheatgrass, Green Tea etc, but did you know that Cherries are also a potent superfood? And so delicious it's not a chore to include them!

Prunus Serotine- The Cherry
It is a small fruit belonging to the same family as peaches, plums and apricots.
There are 2 Kinds- Sweet & Sour, with 100's of varieties of each. 

Cherries are a rich source of flavonoids, which gives the fruit its deep rich colour.
What is a flavonoid?  Also called bioflavonoids, they are essentially plant pigments. Pigments are what gives a plant its colour. The richer the colour the more flavonoids It contains.

So why are flavonoids good for you? The benefits are numerous, but the biggest one is that flavonoids have tremendous antioxidant properties that protect your body from free radical damage from a whole plethora of toxins which we ingest, inhale, absorb and drink each day. This keeps you looking young and offers protection from disease. 

                                      

Research suggests that cherries offer substantial anti-cancer protection.
Two of the flavonoids present in cherries were seen to inhibit colon cancer cell growth. Tart cherries (a kind of sour cherry) also contain perillyl alcohol (POH)- a natural compound that seems to be very powerful in reducing the occurrence of all types of cancer. In animal studies POH triggered the regression of 81% of small breast cancers, and 75% of advanced breast cancer. (2). Cherries are also high in phytonutrients and Vitamin C which also protect against cancer. 

Cherries are especially helpful in dealing with Gout. Gout is a form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood which gets deposited in the joints, causing pain and inflammation. Flavonoids in cherries inhibit the enzyme that produces uric acid. Clinical studies have found that eating 250 g of cherries a day reduces uric acid levels and lowers the incidence of gout attacks. (2)
This may sound like a lot, but it is roughly 35 cherries. A typical portion size is 80g/10 cherries, so this can easily be split up through the day.  

I have worked out the below values as an average by studying numerous nutrient charts for cherries. Different kinds contain varying quantities, but as a general guide I feel these numbers are fairly accurate.

80g or 10 Cherries (1 Average portion) contains 20% of your daily Vitamin C needs, and 13% of your Vitamin A.
A portion of this size will also contain all these other vitamins and minerals in quantities ranging from .05%- 4.5% of daily requirements- Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Choline, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Omega 3s, Omega 6s, Lutein- Zeaxanthin (important for eye health) and a few more. 

                                          

JUST 10 CHERRIES PACKS ALL THESE NUTRIENTS!!!

Cherries really are one of the less well acknowledged super foods, I try and eat at least 1 serving a day, at least 2 servings when I am not well to help boost my immune system.  Don't get confused between people telling you this cherry is better than this cherry. Whatever cherry you can get your hands on will pack tonnes of nutrients, if you have the choice Tart cherries are described as being more nutrient dense,  but from studying several nutrient charts they have more of certain nutrients and sweet cherries come out on top for others.

Buy organic if you can, unfortunately cherries are normally waxed- a whole other subject to post about. If this is not an option there are ways to clean your fruit and veggies, baking soda can help remove it, or things like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar also work. I don't want this post to get too long and loose interest so do some research online around this, its another posting topic if people are interested.   

Now go get some cherries :)

References

1-Paxton.F. (2015). Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition. Australia: Allen & Unwin. (One of my general study books where I learned what flavonoids etc were so I have included it as a reference)

2-Pizzorno, J., Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, L. (2014). The encyclopedia of healing foods. New York: Atria Books. 

Image Sources

http://www.juixing.com/juicing-cherries-all-about-cherries-and-how-to-juice-them/

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=popeye&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQ5M3nkvjUAhUPOsAKHXZNACsQ_AUIBigB&biw=1518&bih=724#tbm=isch&q=vitamins&imgrc=4gDHB0MhIhFFNM:&spf=1499464034658