As we know so many claims are raising as marijuana is the antidote for cancer, latest studies indicate that cherries have the super power of healing cancer. Studies state cherry as a super food, which made millions of cherry lovers happy. The ruby fruit that decorates our dining table is said to be not as small as it looks. It has larger health benefits.
“It was always anecdotal, but it’s been reported so frequently, by so many different people, that you have to think there may be something to it,” says Dr. Russell J. Reiter, professor of neuro endocrinology at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
Reiter recently put some hard science behind the cherry folklore. He conducted a five-month study and found that tart cherries contain significant amounts of melatonin — a hormone produced in the brain’s pineal gland that has been credited with slowing the aging process, and fighting insomnia and jet lag. It’s also being studied as a potential treatment for cancer, depression and other diseases and disorders.
The findings mark the first time melatonin has been pegged as a naturally occurring substance in food, although trace amounts are evident in bananas, corn and other foods, Reiter says.
“The combination of antioxidants in cherries can be very beneficial,” Reiter says.
Growing concerns about the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risks of common pain-relieving drugs are leading many health-conscious adults to avidly seek safe, effective ways of beating inflammation and pain. Exciting evidence suggests that delicious tart cherries offer powerful pain relief and may also safeguard against cancer and neurodegenerative conditions.
It is said that cherries can make cancer cells suicide itself literally.Research has shown that a diet containing cherries is beneficial in reducing the risk of colon cancer. When scientists fed a diet containing tart cherries, anthocyanins, or cyanidin (a non-sugar breakdown product of anthocyanins) to mice with a genetic susceptibility to colon cancer, the animals developed significantly fewer and smaller colon tumors.
This study also revealed that these compounds effectively reduced the growth of two human colon cancer cells lines.Overflowing with beta carotene, vitamin C, boron and a class of powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, cherries offer a formidable defense against cancer. As reported by Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D., in Eating Well, "... preliminary studies suggest the anthocyanin cyanidin may prevent genetic mutations that can lead to cancer and keep cancer cells from growing out of control. While tart cherries contain some anthocyanins, sweet cherries pack nearly three times as many (two-thirds are found in the skins). The riper the better: As cherries darken, they produce more antioxidants."
Strong evidence from several studies has revealed that cherry anthocyanins offer powerful relief against inflammation and pain.Scientists at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore found that tart cherry anthocyanins provided effective reduction of painful inflammation comparable to that obtained with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indomethacin, in an experimental animal model. The researchers believe that this remarkable effect may be derived from the anthocyanins’ ability to counter oxidative stress following an inflammatory insult.
Tart cherries are one of the few food sources of melatonin, a chemical released in the body by the pineal gland that is intimately connected with circadian rhythms, or the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin also acts as a powerful antioxidant, providing neuroprotective and immune-modulating effects.As tart cherries provide a substantial amount of melatonin, they may constitute an important dietary source of this essential substance.
Cherries can help adults maintain an active lifestyle by countering painful inflammation. By averting cancer and protecting the nervous system, a diet containing tart cherries may help ensure a future free from debilitating illness.Flavorful and nutritious, tart cherries thus offer important benefits for individuals seeking to live long, healthy lives.
