Bursting with vitamins and antioxidants, there are many rainier cherry health benefits. They give you a bite-sized boost of essential vitamins and nutrients, including potassium, copper, vitamin C, and polyphenols.
The Rainer cherry can be eaten raw or can also be used in a variety of recipes such as cakes, tarts, pies, and cheesecakes.
Sweeter than dark cherries, Rainier cherries are often confused as less-ripe dark cherries. What most people don’t realize is that they are actually just a different variety of cherry.
One cup, or about 21 cherries, contains less than 100 calories and 15% of your daily vitamin C needs.
As “America’s super fruit,” rainier cherries offer vital nutrition for long and healthy life. One cup of cherries contains 90 calories with an ample supply of fiber, protein, and vitamins A and C, says the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
These juicy red fruits are the kind of thing you’ll want to keep popping in your mouth like candy.
And considering all of the health benefits they provide, you can feel good about doing exactly that—especially during the summer when they’re at their seasonal peak.
Rainier Cherry Health Benefits
1. They pack a nutritional punch. A serving of Rainier cherries (5 ounces, 1 cup or about 21 cherries) provides 90 calories and 3 grams fiber and is a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
Rainier cherries are also a great source of anthocyanins, bioactive compounds that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cardiovascular and other benefits.
Research shows that melatonin, catechins, and flavonols in Rainier cherries contribute to the fruit’s healthfulness, too.
2. Relives Insomnia. Rainier cherries contain a hormone called melatonin which facilitates good, peaceful sleep. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain.
It is known to regulate your sleep and wake cycles and control the internal body clock.
3. Reduces Inflammation. Antioxidants are vital for good health as they protect our cells from damage caused by oxidants, or free radicals.
Rainier cherry health benefits contain antioxidants known as anthocyanins and cyanidin which may have anti-inflammatory effects and initial research has shown that these antioxidants could be beneficial in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, although more research is needed to replicate these results in human studies.
4. Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels In People With Diabetes. Rainier cherry health benefits contain the antioxidant anthocyanin — natural colorants that provide pigments in fruits and have numerous health benefits.
In early laboratory studies that used animal pancreatic cells, anthocyanins increased insulin production by 50 percent.
5. Provides Quercetin. Rainier cherries are rich in quercetin, a natural flavonoid that is associated with strong antioxidant and health properties.
Quercetin helps neutralize potential DNA damage caused by free radicals and may help protect against heart disease and certain cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, and lung.
6. Can Provide Arthritis Relief. Several studies have suggested that Rainier cherry consumption is beneficial for osteoarthritis sufferers.
Regularly incorporating Rainier cherries or 100% cherry juice into your meal or snack routine may help lessen your joint pain.
7. Great Source of Iron. And the alkaline nature of this cherry helps eliminate various harmful toxins in the body.
8. Facilitates Weight Loss. If you are planning to shed some weight, don’t forget to add Rainier cherry health benefits to your diet.
Rainier cherries are low in calories that means that around a cup of cherries would be less than 100 calories (according to the USDA).
They are rich in vitamins that strengthen your metabolism and have moderate water content that flushes out the toxins from your body.
9. Cancer-fighting agents. Oxidative stress and inflammation can raise the risk of diseases like cancer.
But Rainier cherries are rich in antioxidants like ellagic acid, anthocyanins, and vitamin C—which appear to offer some protection.
Eating 45 cherries daily for 28 days lowered levels of several harmful inflammatory markers, found one study from the Journal of Nutrition.
10. Lowers Hypertension. Rainier cherries contain a good amount of potassium, and thus, help in removing excess sodium content from the body and balances the amount of both potassium and sodium which automatically helps in maintaining your blood pressure levels.
11. May Keep your Heart Healthy. The anthocyanins in Rainier cherries may be good for your ticker too.
Research shows that these potent polyphenols can play a role in heart disease prevention by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy artery function.
One American Heart Association study even tied higher anthocyanin intake to a lower risk of heart attacks in young and middle-aged women.
12. Rainier Cherries Provide Energy. This is necessary for the body as they not only help in building blood but they also give you flexibility due to sodium content present in them.
13. Anti-aging properties. Being endowed with the highest level of anti-oxidants, in comparison to other fruits, it helps in slowing down the aging process by fighting those free radicals present in the body which make the skin look older.
14. Improves Hair Health. The abundance of vitamins in Rainier cherries makes it a wonder fruit.
Vitamin A keeps hair and scalp hydrated. It also regulates the production of an essential acid called Retinoic acid which is important for the hair follicle.
15. Boosts Hair Growth. Vitamin C is very essential for hair. It helps in strengthening hair follicles and prevents breakage from the roots.
It also nourishes the hair and prevents split ends and hair fall by stimulating the growth of new hair follicles.
Bottom Line: Rainier Cherry Health Benefits
They’re more than just pie filling.
- They are high in fiber, which makes you feel fuller and therefore reduces the risk that you will eat too many calories (1 cup contains about 3 grams of dietary fiber)
- Anthocyanins also help protect your body from damage against environmental toxins and free radicals, which speed up the aging process
- High in vitamin C, 1 cup of Rainier cherries contains 9.7 milligrams of vitamin C, which helps maintain healthy skin, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments and cartilage
To keep fresh Rainier cherries at their peak, store unwashed and uncovered in your refrigerator for up to a week.
Rinse with water before eating the cherries. You can also freeze them. Simply rinse with cold water with stem and pit and let drain.
Pack into freezer bags or containers and freeze. They will keep fresh for up to up to a year.
Rainier cherries can be incorporated into a wide variety of dishes – from cocktails and appetizers to side dishes and desserts.