Cherries Can Help You Sleep — And Improve Your Overall Health When You’re Up, Research Shows
When you think about the health benefits of cherries, your mind might go blank. After all, it’s easy to remember so many other other fruits and vegetables that get more attention nowadays for their nutritious and delicious values. But new research on cherry health benefits might just put this humble fruit back into the spotlight it deserves.
Health Benefits of Cherries
A March 2018 review of studies published in the scientific journal Nutrients found that the consumption of cherries improved sleep quality, decreased muscle soreness and inflammation, lowered blood pressure, and alleviated the severity of arthritis. Additionally, the findings indicated that eating cherries often may even reduce risk for chronic inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
While it’s certainly exciting to hear that the health benefits of cherries might lead to a healthier future, it’s even more thrilling to know that these tasty fruits may be able to help you right here and right now in the present. For example, if you’ve been having trouble catching those Zzz’s lately, you have probably heard recommendations from health experts or friends to eat cherries for better sleep or to eat cherries to help you sleep longer during the night. Well, this latest research suggests that this advice rings true: The evidence points to not only better sleep for folks who eat lots of cherries, but also improved cognitive functions.
Nutrition of Cherries
You may recall hearing previous studies that primarily cover the benefits of tart cherry juice and fat burning. But the good news is that you don’t need to scarf down a sour-tasting juice in order to reap the health benefits of cherries. Researchers of the new review of studies say that both sweet and tart cherries deliver high concentrations of nutrients and bioactive components, such as fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, and potassium. On top of that, both types of cherries are low in calories as well, so you can enjoy quite a few of them without feeling too stuffed.
We know fresh cherries are only in season for a few more weeks, so we see this new research as further motivation to enjoy them while we can. But even if you miss out on the fresh fruit, experts say frozen cherries or dried cherries are a great alternative to getting those magnificent cherry health benefits all year round.
Next, learn about the tastiest superfoods that can help you live longer in the video below:
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