Sitting down to eat a bowl of fresh cherries is one of life’s clean and honest pleasures. Thankfully, cherries are more than just a delectable fruit, they come packed with health benefits like protecting us against cancer and fighting free radical damage. Cherries come in both sweet and sour (or tart) varieties and are loaded with a powerful antioxidant called anthocyanin—water soluble pigments that, depending on their pH, give certain foods their red, purple, blue or black color. Cherries also contain abundant vitamin C, needed for a strong immune system, and are a superb source of dietary fiber.
Promote Weight Loss
Because they are high in dietary fiber and low in calories, cherries help you to feel full more quickly, so you eat less. Research has also shown cherries help promote weight loss. In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, rats were split into two groups and both fed a high-fat diet for 90 days. One group received whole tart cherry powder and the other did not. Results showed that the rats who received the cherry powder did not gain as much weight or build as much body fat, and their blood showed much lower levels of inflammation than the rats who did not get cherry powder….