Although some experts are touting ‘sour cherries’ as the next superfruit, is it really time to begin rolling out pastry for a health-boosting pie?
According to a report in Clinical Advisor, a growing body of ‘evidence’ has connected the tart cherry with wellbeing benefits, including reduced arthritic pain, and heart health.
The report says tart cherries contain several potent antioxidants including anthocyanins (the ones that give the cherries their rich, distinctive color).
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However, Sylvia Turner, from the British Dietetic Association, disputes whether any one ‘food’ is any more super than another.
“The term ‘superfood’ is a great marketing tool and cherries can quite often come at a premium in terms of price. But those of us who are watching the purse strings can rest assured that vitamin C and a range of other antioxidants can be found in a number of foods.”
Turner explains that all fruits and vegetables have antioxidant properties, which means their consumption helps to mop up free radicals - the atoms we are exposed to on a daily basis that can contribute to some of the UK’s biggest killers - including strokes, heart disease and cancer.
But don’t turn your back on consuming seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as cherries, altogether.
“Eating produce you might not have been exposed to over the winter months will help you benefit from a range of different antioxidants, in the form of various polyphenols and anthocyanins,” says Turner.
“In addition cherries just like other fruits and vegetables provide small amounts of most of the vitamins and minerals essential for everyday good health.”
