- The many benefits of eating cherries include reduced gout attacks, stabilized sleep, and eased exercise recovery
- While too many cherries can make you poop, they can also relieve constipation for those with such a problem
- Cherries are among the most fiber-rich fruits and have a high nutritional value
- You should eat as many cherries as you would any other fruit: half a cup a day
A healthy lifestyle comes with many benefits, but in order to achieve it, exercise alone isn’t enough. For your body to be in good physical and mental health, you must also regulate your diet. A healthy and nutritious diet protects you from many fatal diseases like diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.
A healthy diet is composed of different foods. The most important food group you need to consume is fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other equally beneficial components.
One of the most recently famous fruits that has everyone’s attention is cherries, which are considered to have many benefits for the body. But aside from the many benefits, people have also been concerned about the effects cherries have on the digestive system and whether eating too many fresh cherries makes you poop.
Are Cherries Good for Health?
A healthy and delicious summer delight, cherries are available all year round, thanks to modern advances and technology in agriculture. These sweet bite-sized pleasures are incredibly rich in nutrients that do wonders for the body.
You might not know this, but there isn’t only one type of cherry. The two most popular types of cherries you probably know are sweet or fresh cherries and tart cherries used for cooking and baking. In the U.S., Bing cherries are the most popular type of sweet cherry, while Montmorency cherry is the most popular tart cherry.
What Do Cherries Contain?
Cherries are exceptionally rich in vitamin C, A, and K. They also contain anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and melatonin. This combo helps reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and minimize the risk of chronic diseases.
The antioxidants in cherries help to protect your body against free radicals. They contain anti-inflammatory compounds like polyphenols and vitamin C that reduce inflammation and other health problems. Cherries are also a good natural source of dietary fiber that helps the digestive system run smoothly. And lastly, cherries are one of the few fruits that contain natural melatonin that regulates your sleeping cycle.
Because cherries contain such rich and healthy compounds, we can comfortably say that, yes, cherries are good for your overall health, but there is a slight hiccup. Because they contain such a high level of fiber and a type of natural sugar alcohol known as sorbitol, they can alter your regular bowel movements. In worst-case scenarios, you may even get diarrhoea and loose stools, but we will get to that in a minute.
Putting these side effects aside for a moment, eating tart and sweet cherries and drinking cherry juice has many benefits for your overall health. Some of the benefits that we will talk about below include: minimizing cancer risk, protection from potential heart disease, and stabilizing the sleep cycle.
Cherries Nutritional Information
In 2018, the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE did a study to determine all of the nutritional factors that cherries contain. The results of this research show that:
One cup of cherries (154g) without cherry pits contains:
- Water 127g
- Energy 405kJ / 97kcal
- Protein 1.63g
- Fat 0.308g
- Fiber 3.23g
- Sugar 19.7g
- Calcium (Ca) 20mg
- Iron (Fe) 0.554mg
- Magnesium (Mg) 16.9mg
- Potassium (K) 342mg
- Vitamin C 10.8mg
- Vitamin B6 0.075mg
- Vitamin A 4.62 µg.
Health Benefits Of Eating Cherries
The benefits of eating cherries are many. In this article, we will talk about the top 5 benefits you can expect from eating cherries:
Gout Benefits
Gout is a very painful inflammatory arthritis that appears due to the high level of uric acid (a waste by-product of your metabolism) in the blood. It causes tiny sharp crystals to form around your joints. Gout is not only painful, but it also affects the movement and use of the affected joint.
A 2018 research claims that consuming enough sweet cherries can regulate uric acid levels. This research states that in the 2-day period, you can reduce gout attacks by 35% only by consuming cherries.
Heart Benefits
Due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, cherries are able to prevent many heart diseases. They contain high levels of polyphenols (natural antioxidants) that protect the heart and reduce inflammation and stress.
Cherries are also known to be a good weapon against high blood pressure because they contain potassium. Not only that, but they also regulate blood flow by improving endothelial function.
They are even effective in regulating cholesterol levels due to the soluble fiber in them that removes the cholesterol from the digestive tract.
Sleep Benefits
Cherries are rich in melatonin – a hormone produced by your brain in response to darkness that regulates your sleep cycle. Many who experience insomnia or other types of sleep irregularities benefit a lot from increased melatonin levels.
A study done in 2013 involving participants from 20 to 85 shows that those who consumed the Jerte Valley cherry-based product experienced better sleep and rest than those who didn’t, especially with advancing age.
Minimizes Risk of Cancer
Because of the high level of antioxidants, cherries protect the body from cellular damage by free radicals, a phenomenon associated with increased levels of cancer. Cherries also help prevent any DNA damage and tumor growth. They are even known for reducing some side effects caused by chemotherapy, like nausea and inflammation.
Exercise Recovery
The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds contained in cherries help with exercise recovery by minimizing muscle pain and inflammation. Research shows that, in order to achieve this benefit, it is best to use tart instead of fresh cherries. Tart cherry juice improves the overall performance of athletes, speeds up muscle recovery, and helps retain strength.
Research from 2020 shows that consuming tart cherry juice improves endurance while exercising. The reason for this is believed to be due to the low glycemic index as well as the anti-oxidative and blood flow properties found in cherries.
Do Cherries Make You Poop?
Like many other fruits and vegetables, cherries contain a lot of fiber that helps regulate your bowel movement. But they also contain a natural sugar (sorbitol) that has a laxative effect for some people. But do cherries make you poop?
Yes! Eating too many cherries can make you poop. For some who have a sensitive stomach, they can even be the reason for diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal symptoms. This, of course, all depends on your body’s tolerance to fiber and sugar.
But what about drinking cherry juice? Considering the fact that cherry juice is also made of the same natural sugar alcohols and fiber, our conclusion is that it will have the same laxative effect on your body.
Keep in mind that not everyone will have a laxative effect from cherries! And if you are wondering how many cherries you can eat in a day without the side effects, there isn’t a definitive answer.
The number of cherries you can eat in a day all depends on your nutritional needs and health conditions. However, eating around half a cup of fruit per day is recommended. If you really enjoy cherries that much, then you should consume more or less the same amount of cherries as you would any recommended fruit.
Final Verdict
Even though cherries are a natural laxative that can lead to a higher level of bowel movements, we can’t just erase all the health benefits. For your own health and well-being, it is important to eat cherries in order to achieve a balanced diet.
If you are worried about the side effects and know you have a sensitive stomach, you should consult a professional on this matter. You should also do this if you think you might have a cherry allergy. If you are eating the recommended amount of cherries per day, then it is highly unlikely that you will experience any of these side effects.
FAQs
1) Do cherries help with constipation?
Because of the high levels of dietary fiber, cherries can help with constipation. The fiber in the cherries helps prevent loose stools. Additionally, cherries contain natural sugar alcohols known for their natural laxative effects.
2) Does eating cherries cause diarrhea?
For some people who have a more sensitive stomach, overeating cherries can lead to abnormal bowel movements – diarrhoea. To avoid this side effect, avoid eating cherries more than the recommended amount.
3) What are the risks of eating cherries?
Eating too many sour and sweet cherries can cause diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. But eating cherries also comes with many benefits for your overall health. This is why it is important to eat the recommended amount.
4) Is it safe to eat cherries for kids?
Yes, kids can eat cherries. Cherries are rich in vitamin C and minerals, making them the perfect snack for the little ones. Before serving them to children, wash them and remove any cherry pits for safety reasons.