Midsummer - sour cherry season. If you miss the sour cherries, you're missing out. These bright fruits are not only delicious for snacking, for juice and jam. They also impress with their high content of vital substances, which makes them healthy delicacies.

A vital substance cocktail

Sour cherries are a pure cocktail of vital substances. They are rich in minerals, trace elements, vitamins and polyphenols. They pile up on minerals with potassium and calcium. In terms of trace elements, its magnesium, zinc and iron content is not to be despised. In addition, the high content of folic acid and vitamin C speaks for the consumption of sour cherries.

How do tart cherries work in the body?

Especially the deep dark red to black varieties are full to the brim with iron and polyphenols. A glass of freshly squeezed sour cherry juice is therefore ideal for refreshing the body's iron levels.

Since tart cherries contain melatonin, which acts as a hormone in the body, they help with sleep problems, which are particularly common in old age. In addition, they are said to have the following effects:

  • diuretic
  • blood purifying
  • anti-inflammatory
  • immune system strengthening
  • digestive
  • draining
  • antioxidant
  • soothing

The special importance of polyphenols

Nutritionists emphasize above all the high content of polyphenols in the tart cherries. They are also referred to as anthocyanins. Experiments have shown, for example, that these substances block tumor development in mice or destroy cancer cells in the colon in humans.

In which form is the sour cherry the healthiest?

It is best if you eat the fresh sour cherries straight from the garden. You can snack on them, add them to fruit salads and desserts like ice cream, or squeeze them for juice. Processing by pasteurization is not recommended. Heating the tart cherries destroys most of the polyphenols and vitamins they contain.

You should also harvest the sour cherries when they are fully ripe. Then they have the highest content of vital substances. If you can't eat bulk cherries, dry or freeze them.

tips and tricks

In addition to the fruit, the leaves, flowers, fruit stalks and resin of the sour cherry are edible and healthy. For example, the fruit stalks have an expectorant and antioxidant effect when you infuse them into a tea.

KKF

Category:

Vegetable garden