Cherries cherries cherry trees

2001/06/01 Lorenzo, Arantza | Uranga, Ane Miren Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Dietetika/Elikagaiak

Cherries are consumed in Europe since the Roman and Greek times. Although they do not have many possibilities to develop in the tropical regions, for their soft flavor, they are very accepted and liked in the five continents.

In its composition are all foods in small quantities. The majority component, as in other fruits, is water (80.8%), followed by carbohydrates of sugar type (14.3%), being the most important fructose, so that diabetics can consume cherries with greater tranquility than other fruits. Fats, like proteins, account for 1% of the composition of cherries. Vitamins A, B, C and E are found in very small amounts, as well as mineral salts and trace elements: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium (the most abundant), zinc, copper and manganese.

Cherries also contain other non-nutritious ingredients but which protect us from certain diseases:

• Organic acids (malic, citric…): stimulate the digestive glands and cleanse the blood. The cherries of light red color are richer than the dark ones in this type of acids.
• Soluble vegetable fiber, mainly pectin: With 100 g of cherries you get 10% of the recommended daily fiber. This explains their laxative and lipid-lowering functions and their ability to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
• Flabonoids: thanks to them the cherry has diuretic, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Among the flavonoids of the cherry stands out the ellagic acid. Recent research has shown that this acid neutralizes potentially carcinogenic substances.
• Salicylic acid: natural precursor of aspirin with anti-inflammatory and rheumatic effects. In cherries it is only 2 mg/kg, but sufficient to highlight its effects.

For all these reasons, so that we eat at this time of year whenever we can, taking into account that we must take between 3 and 4 pieces of fruit a day and that, depending on its size, between 10 and 15 pieces of fruit form a grain of fruit.