Super Foods Part 4: Cherries (Prunus Avium & Prunus Cerasus)
It should be noted that in this article I will be referring to two types of cherry: the standard sweet cherry, Prunus Avium, and the sour cherry, Prunus Cerasus, also known as the tart cherry.
Just as with blueberries, cherries contain a high amount of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are an antioxidant that has been proven to help reduce pain and inflammation. In fact, in 2004, the US department of agriculture proved that sweet cherries ranked among the 20 most anti-oxidant rich foods in the world. The antioxidants found in tart cherries, are thought to be responsible for the lowering of inflammation that is linked to heart disease and diabetes. These cherries reduce the risks of developing type 2 diabetes by significantly lowering insulin and fasting glucose levels (basically a pre-diabetes indicator) which are major signs for developing type 2 diabetes. Cherries are safe for diabetics because the sugar they contain is levulose, which is absorbed directly into the blood stream without first being transformed by insulin.
The anthocyanins, which is the red pigment in the cherries’ skins, have also been proven in various animal studies, to help reduce weight, even on a high fat diet. This probably because they have been shown to significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. So if you want help losing weight, it might be worth turning to the cherries!
Dark, sweet cherries are nutritive, detoxifying, laxative, plus stimulating to the nervous system, the vital organs and the glands. They have powerful anti-phlogistic and anti-putrid properties which allows them to combat the harmful effects of animal proteins putrifying in the intestinal tract. In fact raw cherry juice is so detoxifying that it protects an infant’s sensitive systems against all sorts of digestive disorders.
Most importantly, cherries are the most powerful medicine in the world for eliminating gout and reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration apparently tried to restrict cherry growers from working with scientific bodies in studying the effects of cherries as a way to censor the fact that cherries are such powerful medicine for gout and arthritis. The problem for them is, that unlike drugs, cherries are extremely safe. They are effective and fast-acting for eliminating pain and swelling. Eating just a few cherries a day reduces uric acid in the body which prevents gout from reoccuring.
Just as with the grapes in a previous article, dark cherries are the most medically effective, especially when they are consumed raw. If you are looking to use grapes, blueberries or cherries as a cure to any of the ailments mentioned in the last few articles, then it is wise to cut out all other food from your diet and basically fast on these foods. Many western doctors would laugh at such a cure, but all oriental doctors and Russian doctors take this style of treatment very seriously. If that leaves you in doubt, it might be worth your time researching which cultures have the highest instances of problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and so on. Unfortunately you will discover it is the west by a long way. To me, that means the medical community is not doing its job properly and it should cause you to call into question a lot of its methods. With that in mind I recommend you try fasting on these fruits if you suffering from one of the particular ailments mentioned. If there is not much time left for you, then I suggest you do it now! Otherwise wait for an in depth article I will be doing on fasting later on. If you are not an extreme case, and are just being sensible, by inquiring about how to maintain your health, then well done!!! For you, an addition of just six cherries a day is all you need to stop the on set of arthritis and other nasties creeping at your door!
Another thing that cherries are good for is curing insomnia. The University Of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio discovered that the tart cherry called Montmorency contained a significant amount of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the base of the brain, in a gland called the pineal gland. It is what causes you to feel sleepy at night. However, the production of melatonin can be disrupted by stress, aging, staying up late and artificial lighting. This is why the elderly have problems sleeping, that and a weak bladder!
You can put a stop to sleepless nights and even the aging process by increasing your melatonin levels. The food with the highest melatonin levels is the tart cherry, especially the Montmorency variety. However, if you are not fond of cherries, you will also find peanuts and almonds to be effective in this arena as they contain tryptophan. Tryptophan will increase brain serotonin which can then be converted to melatonin. Bananas also contain melatonin, but not enough to be effective for inducing better quality sleep on their own.
So there you have it; the cherry. The remedy for arthritis, gout, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, pain, intestinal problems, sleep disorders and even the aging process! What do you think? Is it worth implementing cherries into your daily meal plan?
If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:
If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:
They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now!
