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The Nutrition of Cherries

Cherries come from the plant of the genus Prunus. A fruit, cherries are fleshy in texture and are, when they are sold commercially, derived from cultivars of the wild cherry by the name of Prunus avium. Traditionally, the cherry has been consumed since prehistoric times, but in more modern times, the first record of a cultivated cherry appearing in Ancient Rome occurred when the optimas Roman politician, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, brought them to the city from Northeastern Anatolia in the year 72 B.C. The word cherry comes from Classical Greek, which in turn gets it from the Latin word, cerasum. As far as nutrition is concerned, cherries have both pros and cons.

High in Sugar

Cherries are generally high in sugar, with a serving size of 100 grams already netting you 13 grams of sugar.  The obesity risk that too much sugar intake presents comes from all the calories within sugar itself, and this can lead to a heightened risk of diabetes. So sugar in excessive quantities does put you at a higher risk of getting diabetes, but in an indirect fashion. Moreover, tooth decay is also a concern with excessive sugar intake, so while cherries taste great and have more pros than cons, you may still want to moderate your intake given its high sugar content.

Low in Fat

A definite benefit of eating cherries is that they are low in fat. A helping of 100 grams of cherries only comes with 0.2 grams of fat, which is quite negligible. With this negligible presence of fat in cherries, you will be able to rest easy with the knowledge that eating cherries won't cause you to gain weight and expand the size of your waist.

High in Vitamin C

A clear benefit of eating cherries is the vitamin C content that is found in them. In a serving size that only comes to 100 grams, you are getting 7 milligrams of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a fundamental nutrient which helps you battle illnesses such as the common cold. As such, it is a vital ingredient in helping your immune system realize its effectiveness at successfully resisting certain pathogens that can make you sick. The vitamin C in cherries also functions as an antioxidant; as an antioxidant, vitamin C helps your body to reduce oxidative stress. Overall, eating more cherries is a handy way of increasing your vitamin C intake.

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