3 Delicious Reasons to Eat Cherries

Healthy SELF, SELF Magazine

By April Daniels Hussar, SELF magazine

You may associate cherries with late spring and summer -- ahh, nibbling on cherries by the pool ... we can't wait! But February is indeed National Cherry Month, and since they're super tasty and super good for you, there's no reason life can't be, well, a bowl of cherries right now!

We checked in with SELF contributing experts Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke, registered dietitians and co-founders of C&J Nutrition, to the get the health scoop on why you should be snacking on these delicious super treats.


Related: 21 Good-For-You Snacks



1. They're packed with antioxidants. Tart cherries, also called sour cherries, are rich in antioxidant compounds including anthocyanins and quercitin, which may play a role in reducing total body inflammation as well as fighting free radicals.

2. They soothe sore muscles! Tart cherries have been getting a lot of attention lately based on new research suggesting that they may speed recovery and relieve muscle aches and pains after working out. In one study, one group of participants drank 12 ounces of tart cherry juice, two times per day, seven days before running a long race, while another group drank a placebo cherry-flavored drink. The group that drank the tart cherry juice reported significantly less pain following the race.


See More: 6 Secrets to Firing Up Your Metabolism



Clarke and Jarosh add that while tart cherry juice is the type that has been involved in the research so far, sweet cherries are also packed with other antioxidants and nutrition -- they just haven't been the subjects of as much research yet.

Many companies are selling tart cherry juice without added sugar, but it's pretty tart, say Clarke and Jarosh. But it's also sold as a juice concentrate, so you can choose to mix it into other foods (like a smoothie) to temper some of the tartness.

3. They're rich in vitamins and fiber. Since cherries (both tart and sweet) are a good source of vitamins A and C and fiber, they're a nutritious fruit to include in your diet as another way to strengthen your body's defenses and improve overall health.


More From SELF:

Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
Jillian Michaels: How to Lose Two Pounds a Week
The Healthiest Cities for Women