Cherry

Cherry fruit nutrition facts

Wonderfully delicious, cherry fruit is packed with full of health-benefiting nutrients and unique antioxidants. Cherries are native to Eastern Europe and Asia Minor regions.

Botanically, the fruit is a “drupe” (stone fruit), belonging to the broad rosaceae family of small tree fruits in the genus, prunus. Some of common “drupe” family fruits are plums, peaches, apricots etc. Although several species of cherries exist, two popular cultivars are wild or sweet cherry and sour or tart cherry. While wild or sweet cherry belongs to the species; prunus avium, tart cherry belongs to that of prunus cerasus.

Cherries are drupe fruits with central “stony-hard” seed surrounded fleshy fruit measuring 2 cm in diameter. Externally the fruits have bright "shiny" red or purple color with very thin skin.

The West Indian cherry fruit known as aserola (Malpighia emarginata) is native to West Indian islands and grown in Mexico, Texas regions in North America. Acerola belongs to tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae and contain 2-3 small seeds. Acerola contain exceptionally high levels of vitamin-C and vitamin-A than North American and European cherries.

Health benefits of cherry fruit

Cherries are one of the very low calorie fruits; yet are rich source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Both sweet as well as tart Cherries are packed with numerous health benefiting compounds that are essential for wellbeing.

Cherries are pigment rich fruits. These pigments are in fact polyphenolic flavonoid compounds known as anthocyanin glycosides. Anthocyanins are red, purple or blue pigments found in many fruits and vegetables, especially concentrated in their skin, known to have powerful anti-oxidant properties.

Scientific studies have shown that anthocyanins in the cherries are found to act like anti-inflammatory agents by blocking the actions of cycloxygenase-1 and 2 enzymes. Thus consumption of cherries has potential health effects against chronic painful episodes such as gout arthritis, fibromyalgia (painful muscle condition) and sports injuries.

Research studies also suggest that tart cherries are help body to fight against cancers, aging and neurological diseases and pre-diabetes.

Cherry fruits are very rich in stable anti-oxidant melatonin. Melatonin can cross the blood-brain barrier easily and produces soothing effects on the brain neurons, calming down nervous system irritability, which helps relieve neurosis, insomnia and headache conditions.

They are also good source of minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral; an important component of cell and body fluids that regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

The fruits, especially tart cherries are exceptionally rich in many health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic anti-oxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene. These compounds act as protective scavengers against harmful free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers and various disease processes.

Anti-inflammatory property of cherries has been found effective in reducing heart disease risk factors by scavenging action against free radicals.

Acerola or West Indian cherry has exceptionally very high levels of vitamin-C (1677.6 mg per 100 g or 2796 % of RDA) and vitamin-A (767 IU per 100 g).

Sweet and Tart Cherry fruits, fresh, raw, 
                            Nutritive Value per 100 g, 

Principle	Nutrient Value per 100g	Percentage of RDA
Cherry type	Sweet        Tart	Sweet     Tart
Energy	63 cal      50 Kcal	3%        2.5%
Carbohydrates	16.1 g      12.18 g	12%        9%
Protein	1.06 g      1.00 g	2%         2%
Total Fat	0.2 g         0.3 g	1%       1.5%
Cholesterol	0 g           0 g	0%         0%
Dietary Fiber	2.1 g         1.6 g	5.5%       4%
Vitamins
Folates	4 mcg           8 mcg	1%            2%
Niacin	0.154 mg   0.400 mg	1%         2.5%
Pantothenic acid	0.199 mg    0.143 mg	4%             3%
Pyridoxine	0.049 mg   0.044 mg	4%          3.5%
Riboflavin	0.033 mg    0.040 mg	2.5%          3%
Thiamin	0.027 mg    0.030 mg	2%          2.5%
Vitamin C	7 mg        10 mg	11%        17%
Vitamin A	640IU      1283 IU	21%        43%
Vitamin E	0.07 mg     0.07 mg	0.5%         0.5%
Vitamin K	2.1 mcg     2.1 mcg	2%            2%
Electrolytes
Sodium	0 mg           3mg	0%             0%
Potassium	222 mg       179mg	5%             4%
Minerals
Calcium	13 mg         16 mg	1.3%       1.6%
Copper	0.060 mg   0.104 mg	7%        11.5%
Iron	0.36 mg   0.32 mg	4.5%       4%
Magnesium	11 mg        9mg	3%          2%
Manganese	0.070 mg   0.112mg	3%            5%
Phosphorus	21 mg     15 mg	3%           2%
Zinc	0.07 mg     0.10 mg	0.5%        0.1%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene, alpha	0 mcg        0 mcg	--
Carotene, beta	38 mcg   770 mcg	--
Crypto-xanthin, ß	0 mcg      0 mcg	--
Lutein-zeaxanthin	85 mcg    85 mcg	--