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Do you like cherries?
They’re probably one of the most popular fruits out there.
Not only do they look beautiful, they’re also delicious.
Cherries are tiny fruits that are both sweet and sour.
Your favorite cherry’s are a great source of health benefits, making them one of the
healthiest fruits.
In today’s video we’ll be discussing 7 health benefits of cherries.
From protecting your heart to improving sleep quality.
From reducing post-exercise pain to managing arthritis.
We’ll be talking about all of these AND more...
Protects your heart
Many of us enjoy juicy red cherries in the summer.
Cherries have two major types: tart and sweet.
These red fruits are nutrient-dense and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Let me put it to you this way, heart disease is the leading cause of death around the world.
In the United States, one person dies of heart disease every 36 seconds.
About 1 in every 4 American deaths are due to heart disease.
Cherries are rich in nutrients like potassium, which is essential for keeping your heart
healthy.
One cup of sweet cherries provides 10% of your daily value (DV).
It regulates blood pressure by removing the excess sodium from your body.
This allows your heart to beat a lot easier.
Studies show that drinking tart cherry juice can reduce LDL cholesterol, preventing heart
disease.
Hang on, there’s more!
Cherries are packed with strong antioxidants, which maintain heart health by providing protection
against cellular damage.
We’ll talk more about antioxidants later.
Isn’t it exciting to know that tiny cherries support your heart health!
Enjoy cherries as a snack, or top them on your yogurt or cereal bowl!
Do you like cherries?
What are some other heart-healthy foods you like to eat?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
Loaded with nutrients
That’s right!
Prepare to get a nutrient overload…
Cherries provide fiber, vitamins and minerals.
One cup, or about 150 grams of sweet, pitted cherries offer 3 grams of fiber, 18% of your
daily vitamin C, and 5% of your daily copper and manganese.
Fiber is crucial for your body, as it maintains gut health by promoting ‘good’ bacteria.
This allows you better bowel movements.
Cherries are a good source of vitamin C, which is vital to your immune system and skin.
It also provides potassium, which is essential for your nerve function, muscle contraction
and blood pressure.
Additionally, cherries provide vitamin K and B vitamins.
No wonder cherries have earned the title of “superfood”!
Try making a chocolate cherry smoothie bowl.
There are quite a few ingredients you need first.
Mix 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of frozen sweet cherries, 2 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder,
2 tablespoons of flax and chia blend, and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
Transfer this chocolaty mixture to a bowl, and top it up with some hemp seeds.
Your healthy and flavorful smoothie bowl is ready!
Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
Cherries are a powerhouse of antioxidants!
Antioxidants are molecules that protect your body from free radicals.
They help fight oxidative stress, and save you from multiple illnesses and premature
aging.
Cherries are also loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds.
In one review, it was found that eating cherries can reduce inflammation.
Not just this, this fruit also contains a plant compound called polyphenols!
This chemical helps prevent heart disease, mental decline, diabetes and even certain
cancers.
Interestingly, cherries also contain beta-carotene, which holds both antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Did you know you can add cherries to your salads?
Prepare an easy summer fruit salad with fresh cherry, watermelon, blueberry, mint leaves
and feta cheese.
You can also drizzle some honey and lemon juice.
Imagine how good that will be.
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Improves sleep quality
You may have noticed that whenever you have trouble sleeping, you get pretty cranky.
The right quality of sleep is important for your overall health and mood.
Poor sleep can make you angry.
Not only can this ruin your day, but also affect the lives of people around you.
Not to worry, this is where cherries shine.
Eating cherries, or drinking tart cherry juice can promote a healthy sleep.
This is because cherries contain melatonin, a hormone which regulates your sleep-wake
cycle, and controls your internal body clock.
A published study showed that people who drank tart cherry juice for 7 days had increased
melatonin levels, longer sleep duration, and better sleep quality.
Cherries can help manage insomnia.
It was found that drinking 240 ml of tart cherry juice before bedtime significantly
increased sleep by 84 minutes.
Remember, all studies showed the use of cherry juice, and not fresh cherries!
Would you like to learn more about how to get better sleep?
You might want to watch our video on 10 life hacks to get a good night’s rest.
Now back to our video on the benefits of cherries.
Reduced post-exercise pain
Do you feel annoying pain after working out?
It’s sometimes hard to fall asleep afterwards.
What if I were to tell you that cherries can boost exercise recovery?
As I said earlier, cherries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
These substances help relieve post-workout muscle pain, inflammation and damage.
Instead of sweet cherries, tarts and their juice seem to be more effective.
Tart cherry juice speeds up muscle recovery, lessens pain, and prevents strength loss in
athletes.
Wait, there’s more!
Studies suggest that cherries can enhance exercise performance.
A study showed that runners who consumed 480 mg of tart berries for 10 days averaged faster
race times with less muscle soreness.
Cherry juice and powder are very beneficial when it comes to exercise performance and
recovery.
There are many ways to incorporate cherries into your diet, whether they’re smoothies,
cakes, tarts, pies or toppings for your oats!
Manages symptoms of arthritis and gout
These two conditions become a huge problem as you get older.
They both result from inflammation.
But can cherries do good when it comes to arthritis and gout?
The answer is yes, 100 times yes!
Their anti-inflammatory properties help reduce swelling and pain.
This is really important if you’re going to treat gout and arthritis.
Actually, gout is a type of arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid.
Cherries are known to reduce acid levels in your body.
In one study, women ate 10 ounces of sweet cherries following an overnight fast.
After 5 hours went by, their uric acid levels were reduced.
Additionally, it was found that gout attacks were 75% less powerful when cherry intake
was combined with medication.
Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth?
Make a homemade cherry barbeque sauce, or prepare a fresh cherry cobbler.
My mouth’s watering just thinking about it.
Protects you against diabetes
Diabetes is becoming more common these days.
The number of patients rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014!
Cherries can be a healthy treat for all you diabetics out there!
They actually rank much lower than many fruits on the glycemic index.
This means that eating cherries will not cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket.
They also won’t trigger crashes in your insulin level.
Cherries are super delicious and enhance the flavor of your meals.
Even if you don’t want to use fresh cherries, things like dried cherries, cherry juice and
cherry powder are good enough.
Cherries should have a place on your grocery list.
They’re super affordable and available almost anywhere!
Cherries are amazing fruits with stunning health benefits.
Want to learn about the benefits of eating berries?
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple of more videos, shall we?
Check out what eating berries every week will do to your body.
You can also try what happens to your body if you eat blueberries every day!
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about fruits that will boost your health.
Did you know about these cherry benefits before watching this video?
Let us know in the comments below!