Antioxidants, better sleep, improved cognitive health, and tons more sour cherry benefits to love.
Key Takeaways
For such a dainty little fruit, a tart cherry’s benefits are hefty.
Helen Agresti, RDN, is the owner ofProfessional Nutrition Consulting.
Irina Drazowa-Fischer/Getty Images
Christina Stapke, RDN, is the founder ofSea + Spruce Nutrition.
Where to Find Tart Cherries
It’s usually easy to find tart cherries in most forms.
Tart cherries on their own are extremely juicy and relatively low insugar compared to some other fruits.
These chicken wings are so good, you’ll keep them on rotation before, during, and after football season. The sweet and sour Bourbon sauce helps the wings get nice and crispy on the grill, and they pair well with traditional cookout fixings such as slaw and potato salad.Get the recipe:Cherry Bourbon Chicken Wings.Victor Protasio
Tart cherries are brighter red, while sweet cherries are darker, almost purple-red.
As their name suggests, tart cherries have a more sour flavor, while sweet cherries are sweet.
Sweet cherries have a higher fiber content and also contain similar anti-inflammatory properties to tart cherries.
Cherries are particularly rich in flavonoids called anthocyanins.
Scientists believe this has to do with anthocyanins, the antioxidants found in tart cherries.
Cherries also reduce hemoglobin A1c, or the amount of sugar that attaches to your hemoglobin.
Anthocyanin, the antioxidant in tart cherries, has been shown to have antibacterial properties as well.
In rare cases, tart cherries can cause stomach upset and diarrhea, especially in people sensitive to sorbitol.
Another side effect to watch out for is sugar-related weight gain.
Lose the gin for a fun mocktail or kid-friendly sip.
Cherry-Bourbon Chicken Wings
These chicken wings are saucy, tangy, and all-around lip-smacking good.
The cherries' sourness is balanced by the ketchup’s sweetness and some brown sugar.
And bourboncooked just long enough to remove the alcoholadds distinct caramel notes.
2019;11(4):822. doi:10.3390/nu11040822
Fooddata central.
2019;3(5):nzz011.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
2019;11(2):228.
2009;12(5):935-942.
2017;9(10):1111.
Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD.A review of the health benefits of cherries.
2018;10(3):368.
2017;61(1):1361779.
2003;194(1):13-19.
2012;15(11):945-954.
