Cherry is scientifically known as Prunus. It belongs to the family Rosaceae. It is widely distributed in northern temperate areas such as western Asia and Europe. Genus Prunus comprises two varieties: sweet cherry (P. avium) and tart cherry (P. cerasus). The sweet cherry is a large and black-coloured fruit, whereas the tart cherry is originated from the Montmorency varieties.1

Cherries are densely packed with nutrients and have significantly low calories. Cherries are also enriched with bioactive components such as vitamin C, potassium, carotenoids, anthocyanins, melatonin and fibre. ‘Sato Nishiki’ is a common name for sweet cherries.1

Nutritional Value of Cherries:
Cherries have a very high amount of nutrients.

Nutritional components Value
Energy 63 kcal
Carbohydrate 16 g
Protein 1.06 g
Total lipid 0.2 g
Sugar 12.8 g
Fibre 2.1 g
Glycine 0.023 g
Table 1: Nutritional value of raw cherries in 100 grams2
Components Value
Iron 0.36 mg
Calcium 13 mg
Manganese 0.07 mg
Magnesium 11 mg
Potassium 222 mg
Phosphorus 21 mg
Copper 0.06 mg
Fluoride 2 µg
Vitamin E 0.07 mg
Vitamin K 2.1 µg
Vitamin C 7 mg
Thiamin 0.027 mg
Riboflavin 0.033 mg
Niacin 0.154 mg
Vitamin B6 0.049
Folic acid 4 µg
Choline 6.1 mg
Carotene 38 µg
Fatty acids 0.038 g
Threonine 0.0222 g
Lysine 0.032 g
Aspartic acid 0.569 g
Alanine 0.26 g
Phenylalanine 0.024 g
Table 2: Vitamins, minerals and amino acids in raw cherries in 100 grams2

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Properties of Cherries:
Cherries have several bioactive compounds, which show properties that help to prevent several acute and chronic diseases.3 The therapeutic properties of cherries are:

May show anti-microbial (reduces the growth of micro-organisms) potential
May have anti-oxidant potential
May have potential anti-diabetes properties
May have potential anti-cancer potential
May have the potential to help with brain cells
May help with anti-inflammatory potential.3

When you undergo vigorous and strenuous physical activities, it is a good idea to indulge in a cherry diet. Cherries might play an important role in reducing inflammatory diseases as they may have anti-inflammatory effects that might cope with muscle damage - Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

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Potential Uses of Cherries:
The nutritional and bioactive components of cherries may provide potential benefits against many conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, inflammatory disease and Alzheimer’s disease.1 Some of the benefits of cherries are described as follows: