Luscious cherries loaded with nutrients, ease gout

Date published: 7/3/2005

ATE JUNE to mid-July is a short window of time when delicious fresh cherries are readily available. Ruby-red and tangy-sweet, cherries are one of the world's most luscious and sensual fruits.

Cherries are packed with nutrients and have been shown to help gout. Preliminary research suggests they also may help ease pain and aid sleep.

Cherry trees have been treasured and protected throughout the ages by the Greeks, Romans and ancient Chinese. Settlers brought cherry trees to North America in the 1600s.

The story goes that Broadway in New York City bends at 10th Street because a cherry tree stood on the corner. It was considered more important to preserve the tree than to build a straight road. Given that importance, perhaps the myth about George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree was more shocking back in his day.

Celebrated for being delicious, cherries also are a good choice nutritionally.

There are two types of cherries--the sweet, dark-colored variety and the sour or tart ruby-red type.

Sweet varieties, such as Bing cherries, have only 104 calories per cup, and contain 3 grams of fiber. Sweet cherries are tasty on their own, in fruit salads, or as a topping for pancakes, yogurt or ice cream.

Tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, commonly are used in pies and desserts. Tart cherries have even fewer calories than sweet cherries, 74 calories per cup. They have slightly less fiber, 2 grams, and are richer in vitamin A precursors, about 1,350 International Units, meeting about one-third of your daily needs. [See recipes at the end of this column using tart cherries.]

Modern maraschino cherries are actually sweet cherries bleached white and then dyed red. It's not clear what health benefits, if any, they might have after being bleached, since many of the benefits come from the cherries natural red pigments.

A small study showed eating about 1.5 cups of cherries daily eased gout pain.

Gout is a type of arthritis caused when uric acid in the blood forms tiny, sharp-edged crystals that irritate joints. USDA scientists showed that breakfasting on 48 sweet Bing cherries (about 2 cups) caused women to urinate away gout-causing uric acid.

Date published: 7/3/2005