Midsummer – sour cherry season. If you miss out on the sour cherries, you're missing out. These bright fruits are not only delicious for snacking, juice and jam. They also impress with their high nutrient content, which makes them he althy delicacies.
Why are sour cherries he althy?
Sour cherries are he althy because they are rich in minerals, trace elements, vitamins and polyphenols. They have a diuretic, blood purifying, anti-inflammatory, immune system strengthening, digestive, dehydrating, antioxidant and irritation-relieving effect. Fresh, fully ripe sour cherries are the he althiest.
A cocktail of vital substances
Sour cherries are a pure cocktail of vital substances. They are rich in minerals, trace elements, vitamins and polyphenols. They pile up minerals with potassium and calcium. In terms of trace elements, their content of magnesium, zinc and iron is not to be despised. In addition, the high content of folic acid and vitamin C speaks for the consumption of sour cherries.
How do sour cherries work on the body?
Especially the deep, dark red to black varieties are chock-full of iron and polyphenols. A glass of freshly squeezed sour cherry juice is therefore ideal for refreshing the iron levels in the body.
Since tart cherries contain melatonin, which acts as a hormone in the body, they help with sleep problems, which often occur especially in old age. They are also said to have the following effects:
- diuretic
- blood purifying
- anti-inflammatory
- immune system strengthening
- digestive
- draining
- antioxidant
- relieving irritation
The special importance of polyphenols
Nutritionists particularly emphasize the high content of polyphenols in sour cherries. They are also called anthocyanins. Experiments have shown, for example, that these substances block tumor development in mice or destroy cancer cells in the colon in humans.
In which form is the sour cherry the he althiest?
It is best if you eat the fresh sour cherries straight from the garden. You can snack on them between meals, add them to fruit salads and desserts such as ice cream, or squeeze juice out of them. Processing by pasteurization is not recommended. Heating the sour cherries destroys a large part of the polyphenols and vitamins they contain.
You should also harvest the sour cherries when they are fully ripe. Then they have the highest content of vital substances. If you can't eat the masses of cherries, dry them or freeze them.
Tips & Tricks
In addition to the fruits, the leaves, flowers, fruit stalks and resin of the sour cherry are edible and he althy. For example, the fruit stalks have an expectorant and antioxidant effect if you pour them into tea.
