There is no berry more beloved and desired in the middle of summer than a ripe cherry. The health benefits and harms after eating the fruits depend on their composition and the state of human health. Bright red, burgundy or almost black berries begin to ripen from mid-July and in the second half of summer they are eaten with pleasure by large and small gourmands.
Cherries are put on the table fresh, in the form of jam, filling for pies and dumplings, juice or compote. But are aromatic cherries so safe and healthy? What are the benefits of cherries, and when can they be harmful to health?
Composition and calorie content of cherries, vitamins and minerals
Cherries are mostly very sweet, but have a low calorie level - only 52 units.
The vitamin composition of berries will improve the health of the human body. A substance called inositol is especially useful. It is this element that improves metabolic processes. Anthocyanins help remove toxins from the body and strengthen capillaries.
The coumarins contained in the berry help prevent the development of coronary artery disease and thrombophlebitis.
Chlorogenic acid helps to stabilize the liver and kidneys. And pectin stimulates the liver and kidneys. Copper and iron prevent anemia.
Fruit or Berry?
A very interesting question that will baffle many of us. But still, we will find the answer. Turning to botany, remember what a fruit is? Fruit - the fruit of a plant with seeds inside, with which it multiplies. In our case, seeds are seeds. So cherry, in spite of its small size, is a fruit, belongs to the stone fruit type.
Cherry composition, beneficial properties for the human body
Cherries contain many beneficial vitamins
Nature has given this wonderful fruit a lot of nutrients and vitamins.
Cherries contain:
- organic acids - folic, pantothenic;
- macro and microelements - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, iron and others;
- lots of vitamins - A, B, C, E, PP, N.
There is just an incredible amount of elements contained in such a small sour berry.
Calorie content
Despite the high content of vitamins and minerals, cherries are low in calories. 100 grams of pulp contains only 52 kcal... So for those who want a good dose of nutrients but don't want to gain weight, cherries are a great choice.
Why cherries are useful
When consuming cherries, remember that these berries help to cope with the following problems:
- increase hemoglobin;
- prevent blood clots;
- reduce pressure;
- help to cope with arthritis and gout;
- reduce the level of uric acid;
- are used in the complex treatment of epilepsy and other mental pathologies;
- help to cope with staphylococci;
- prevent constipation.
In folk medicine, cherries are used to prepare expectorants.
The secret of the best chefs
Red, ripe, juicy cherries are widely used in cooking. Do not count the dishes that can be prepared from it. This is not only a variety of sweets, but also other dishes (snacks, sauces), as well as drinks.It was not for nothing that the invincible Roman legionaries always carried it with them, and therefore spread this tree wherever they had their own interests.
Many peoples love the berry and have their own interesting recipes. Remember only the glorious Ukrainian dumplings with cherries and sour cream, French clafoutis (special pies), the famous German strudel and Black Forest cake, Viennese pie, in which the seeds are not even taken out of the fruit. The Drunken Cherry cake has become a classic of Soviet cuisine, filled with fruits aged in cognac. Berries are used for filling, juice and compote (syrup) are used for impregnating any type of cake (biscuit, honey, sand).
A person who has not tried jam, jelly, cherry fruit compote has lost a lot. And they are also used to prepare sauces, bake meat with them. Pickled cherries are a delicacy that will become an excellent snack for alcohol in winter. By the way, strong drinks based on sweet and sour berries are also good. The Germans treat the whole world with kirsch - a strong brandy made from a special variety of cherries - small and black. And the Slavs from time immemorial prepared sbitni, liqueurs, liqueurs, liqueurs and other alcoholic delights.
Young leaves of the cherry tree are included in the recipe for marinades for vegetables, jam is made with them, and the shoots (also young, not woody) are put in tea.
The benefits of cherries for men
Cherries are a powerful male stimulant. It contains zinc, which is a truly masculine element that is very important for the male body. This substance helps in the production of sex hormones. Decoctions for these purposes can be made not only from berries, but also from leaves.
With sexual weakness, you can prepare a simple but effective decoction. You will need 2 tablespoons of the stalks, which are poured with half a liter of water and boiled for 10 minutes. After cooling down, the product is ready to use. The broth is divided into 4 parts and drunk throughout the day.
Mr. Dachnik warns: contraindications to use and harm
Uncontrolled use can cause gastrointestinal problems. The berry can harm the enamel of the teeth. It is better not to use cherries for gastritis, high acidity, stomach ulcers. It contains malic and citric acid, which have a negative effect on the diseased gastrointestinal tract.
It is strictly forbidden to use bones. They contain hydrocyanic acid, which is toxic to humans.
You also need to be careful when:
- allergy tendencies;
- liver disease;
- diabetes.
Are cherries good for weight loss?
Cherries do not directly affect the process of losing weight, but their low calorie content allows the berry to be included in the diet. But do not indulge yourself in hopes that the berries will give a magical result. Without physical activity and proper nutrition, there will be no result.
However, cherries allow you to quickly fill and eliminate hunger, which is very important during weight loss. Berries can be used as a snack between meals. They do not raise glucose levels and help prevent the accumulation of fat in the body.
Is there a cherry diet
Due to its low calorie content, red fruits are used in diets. Berries help to remove toxins from the body and replenish with vitamins. The simplest diet is designed for three days. During this time, 2 kg of fresh fruits are eaten daily. The daily portion is divided into seven equal portions. The same period of time is maintained between receptions.
Attention! During the diet, you can drink only fresh fruit juice, green tea without sugar, clean water.
The video tells about the benefits of cherries:
How to take cherries for medicinal purposes
Cherries themselves are practically not used in medicine. But the gum of the tree on the bark is widely used even in official medicine.It is used in vaccines that are used to enhance the immune response to antigens.
Traditional healers advise those who suffer from constipation to eat berries, as they have a mild laxative effect. Cherries help get rid of bad breath. Naturally, we are not talking about those situations when caries or other diseases are the cause of the odor. After eating garlic or other foods with a strong flavor, cherries will help remove the smell.
Cherries help to cope with hypertension. For this, 200 g of pulp of berries is crushed, 2 cloves of chopped garlic are added, and mixed. A tablespoon of honey is added to the mixture. You should drink the medicine before each breakfast, 1 tablespoon. This mixture will help to cope with the symptoms of epilepsy and improve appetite.
Juice from berries (freshly squeezed) is recommended for bronchitis and fever. And if you mix it with watermelon juice, you get an excellent remedy for kidney stones.
Collection (procurement) of raw materials
Young twigs are cut in the spring, while the buds have not yet blossomed. Use a sharp knife. It is advisable to pick up a non-grafted tree. Shoots are separated up to 10 cm long.
Raw materials are rinsed in clean water. Placed on a cloth that absorbs excess moisture. Then they are laid out in a thin layer under a canopy. Can be tied in bundles on average 12-15 pieces and hung in a room with good ventilation on a rope.
For better preservation, dried raw materials are placed in paper bags, which should be kept for no longer than two years in a dry utility room or cabinet.
For the treatment of the thyroid gland, bark collected from old completely dried cherries is recommended.
The raw materials must be free from moss, white bloom, any signs of damage from pests or diseases.
Cherry twigs and healing bark act as raw materials for home cooking of various medicinal varieties.
Possessing a diverse spectrum of medicinal qualities, tea from cherry raw materials is prepared according to simple proven recipes.
When cooking, they are guided by the following sequence of actions:
- Pour 500 milliliters of water into an enamel pot.
- Bring to a boil and add five cherry twigs, broken into pieces about 10 mm long.
- With low heat, cook for 10 minutes.
- Then, without straining, pour the mixture into a teapot, cover with a lid and insist for half an hour. High-quality infused tea acquires a rich color.
- Strain it before use.
You can repeat the steaming of the shoots twice more, but the boiling time is extended by five minutes with each subsequent procedure. The used raw materials are thrown away.
It is recommended to drink no more than three glasses of healing tea per day, adding a small amount of cinnamon or honey if desired.
The tool promotes the treatment of colds, saturates the body with energy, rejuvenates, removes excess fluid. Allows you to quickly cope with diarrhea.
If uterine bleeding is diagnosed, then for two days they drink 250 ml of tea every 8 hours every day. The drink helps well with therapeutic measures aimed at getting rid of painful sensations in arthritis, rheumatism.
You can use another technique for making tea based on cherry twigs:
- Put 20 cherry twigs in a saucepan, the length of which is on average 10 cm.If necessary, they can be broken into smaller fragments.
- Add cold water - 2 liters.
- After boiling, the mixture is boiled for 5 minutes.
- Remove the container from the stove.
- Thoroughly wrap with a woolen scarf or blanket.
- Kept in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Drink three cups of tea saturated with useful elements per day, sweetening it with honey if necessary.The twigs can also be re-brewed two more times.
Such funds are beneficial with reduced blood clotting. Allows to stop nosebleeds. In the spring-winter period, it is recommended to consume this drink in order to maintain immunity. It helps well with fibroids. It is used for the purpose of losing weight.
Today's opinion
Are you interested in the opinion of modern medicine? I don't know how about the life-giving force that is united with nature, but science has fully confirmed the fact that cherries contain many essential minerals and vitamins for the body. With what to compare these gifts of nature on their usefulness? Perhaps with strawberries, which have also been renowned for their delicious qualities since time immemorial.
Many people consider cherries a berry? But is it right? On this occasion, I also had doubts. After consulting with experts, I hasten to inform you: berries are the fruits of shrubs and herbaceous plants that have seeds, but no seeds. Hence, it is most logical to conclude: cherry fruits cannot be considered berries, but are fruits.
And here's another important question: at what time do cherry fruits ripen? After all, the most important thing is not easy to know that these gifts of nature are beneficial to us, but also to understand in which period it is best to use such knowledge.
Gardeners know: cherry picking dates begin at the end of June, continuing until the middle of next month. No, the mentioned miniature fruits, resembling a huge pea in shape, can be harvested longer, in some cases until the very beginning of August, but they are already gradually beginning to lose their vitamin properties.
At this point in my story, I can hardly refrain from a lyrical digression, without telling about the pleasure you get in the summer at the dacha when you pick the first ripe fruits right from the cherry tree, greedily starting to eat them, replenishing the body's needs lost over the long harsh winter!
What else to add? Each cherry tree planted in the garden is capable of giving us full gifts for ten, even fifteen years. And this, I tell you, is quite a lot.
