Be ever-so-sweet on cherries

Cherries are good for much more than making cherry pie or dipping in chocolate. The latest super fruit may also reduce factors associated with heart disease and diabetes.

Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says the fruit’s fiery hue is a cue to its anti-oxidant and health benefits.

“Cherries are particularly high in quercetin (pronounced kwur-si-ten), a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory compound,” she says. “While apples are the top source of quercertin in the typical American diet, gram for gram, cherries pack just as much of this valuable nutrient.”

Fresh cherries or apples have about 3 milligrams of quercetin per 7-ounce serving. Because processing actually serves to concentrate quercetin, there’s about twice the amount of the compound in juices and other processed offerings.

As cherries are available year-round in dried, frozen and juice form, they’re easy to incorporate into your daily diet, Ms. Sandon says.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/nutrition to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in nutrition.

Media Contact: Kristen Holland Shear

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