Everyone loves cherries. Cherry trees are widespread throughout the globe. When excavating ancient settlements, archaeologists everywhere find cherry bones, which testifies to the love of man for these juicy berries since time immemorial. Ancestors appreciated the taste of fragrant berries. They skillfully used not only the fruits, but also other parts of this amazing tree.
And feed and cure
Cherry berries can be consumed in any form: fresh, dried, canned. They quench thirst and improve appetite. Having a low calorie content (52 kcal / 100 g), they are great for diet food.
About whether cherries are useful, can tell its chemical composition. Berries are rich in vitamins and minerals, their pulp has bactericidal properties. The copper and iron salts contained in the cherry fruits, as well as a significant amount of folic acid (up to 0.4 mg) help in the treatment of anemia, which makes cherries a desirable product for children’s table and nutrition for pregnant women. Cherry contains more iron than apples, and in terms of folic acid content, cherries approach ripe raspberries.
What is useful for cherry is unique natural compounds. The fruit contains ellagic acid, which blocks the development of cancer cells. And coumarins and oxycoumarins normalize blood coagulation, preventing thrombosis and heart attacks. The natural dye Anthocyanin, which is especially abundant in dark-colored cherries, is a powerful antioxidant that strengthens capillaries and slows down cell aging. Magnesium contained in the pulp has an anticonvulsant and calming effect on the nervous system.
Not just berries. Using other parts of the cherry tree
Everyone loves cherries for juicy berries and tasty compotes. And what is cherry good for besides its fruits? And leaves, and seeds, and stalks, and young twigs are used in cooking and traditional medicine.
Leathery cherry leaves are natural antiseptics. They are widely used in canning, adding to pickles and preserves. With cuts and abrasions, a slurry of leaves can be applied to the injured area - this will prevent the inflammatory process. When visiting a bathhouse, instead of birch brooms, you can take cherry: the bactericidal properties of cherry foliage will allow you to clean the skin, heal wounds, and destroy fungal infections. A decoction of twigs helps with gastric disorders, it is used as an astringent for diarrhea and dysentery. Cherry stalks are a diuretic that helps with edema and urolithiasis. A decoction of stalks and young twigs helps with hypertension. With the help of bones, traditional medicine treats gout and kidney stone disease.
Flowers, stalks, cherry leaves are dried for the winter. What is useful cherry in the winter, so it is protection against vitamin deficiency. Healing cherry tea will give vitality and protect against colds.
Cautions and contraindications
Cherry has long been used in folk medicine. Useful properties and contraindications for its use have been well studied by herbalists and healers. Unfortunately, some people cannot use cherry berries.
Cherry juice is contraindicated in diabetes. Cherry should not be eaten by people with a stomach ulcer and those who have high acidity. Also, people suffering from obesity and intestinal upset should refrain from eating cherries. Amygdalin is contained inside the cherry stones, which over time breaks down into harmless glucose and toxic hydrocyanic acid. Cherry pitted tincture, prepared without heat treatment, may contain a certain amount of amygdalin, and is more harmful than useful. Cherry with pits in the form of jam and compotes is not dangerous, since amygdalase loses its ability to split when heated.