Cherries: Sweet and Tart

Discover the sweet and tart truth about cherries!

These ruby-red powerhouses, in season late spring to early summer, are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals offering heart, cancer, and sleep benefits.

by  Mary B Grosvenor, MS, RD  and

Lori A Smolin, PhD 

Life may or may not be a bowl of cherries, but they can certainly make it a little bit better. Fresh cherries offer a sweet, sometimes tart, juicy treat in late spring and early summer. Frozen and dried cherries are available year-round. This ruby-colored fruit is low in calories and high in nutrients and other health-promoting substances, providing a guilt-free indulgence that can boost your nutrient intake and benefit your health.

Cherries originated in Mesopotamia and were first cultivated by the ancient Greeks. They were carried  throughout Europe by the Romans as their empire expanded. Cherries were brought to America by English colonist in the 1600s and were later introduced in California by Spanish missionaries. [1]  On average, Americans eat about 2.2 pounds of cherries per year. [2]

Cherry Botany

Cherries are classified as a stone fruit, named for the single hard pit, or stone, in the center. The pit is surrounded by fleshy fruit and a thin skin.  Stone fruits, also called drupes, include peaches, plums, and apricots as well as cherries. Of the more than 1,200 varieties of cherries, the most popular are Bing, Rainer, Black, Queen Anne, and Montmorency.[3] Generally, they are placed in two categories, sweet cherries and sour or tart cherries. Dark red Bing cherries are the most popular sweet cherry. Rainier and Queen Anne are also common sweet cherry varieties, with a yellow and orange color distinctive in the cherry world. Sweet cherries are typically eaten fresh, whereas tart cherries are used in pies and juices. Bright red Montmorency are the most popular tart cherry.[4]

Nutritional and Health Benefits

Cherries have been called a superfruit because of the nutrients and phytochemicals they contain. One cup, or about 20 cherries, provides about 85 Calories, over 3 grams of fiber, and a gram and a half of protein along with over 10% of the recommended intake of vitamin C and copper, 300 mg of potassium, and  small amounts of calcium, iron, folate, and vitamin A. Cherries are high in polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins, which give them their red color. These phytochemicals, along with vitamin C, give cherries antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which has led to the suggestion that they may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases, as well as improve exercise performance and sleep.[5,6]

Cherries may protect heart health by helping to manage blood pressure and because the polyphenols they contain reduce cellular damage and inflammation.[5,6] The phytochemicals in cherries have been found to guard against cancer by acting as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents as well as by helping to regulate cell death and proliferation, and the invasion and migration of cancer cells.[7] Cherries and their juice have been shown to be beneficial for arthritis and gout.[6,8] One study found that subjects eating fresh cherries for two days had a 35% lower risk of gout flare-ups compared with those who didn’t eat cherries. Those who combined cherry intake with medications for gout had a 75% reduction in flare-ups.[9] Tart cherry concentrate has been shown to benefit endurance exercise performance by improving muscle function and reducing muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness.[10,11] Tart cherry juice concentrate can also help you sleep better because it provides the antioxidant phytochemical melatonin, which improves sleep duration and quality.[12]

Yet even a bowl of cherries can have its downsides. Eating too many can cause bloating, cramps, and diarrhea in some people because cherries are high in the sugar alcohol, sorbitol. This is a particular problem for those with irritable bowel syndrome.  And make sure to spit the pits. Cherry pits contain small amounts of poisonous cyanide. But don’t panic if you swallow one – whole cherry pits are unlikely to be toxic. The cyanide is not released unless the pit is chewed or crushed; you would need to chew about 5 pits to release enough cyanide to cause a reaction.[13]

Enjoy Some Cherries

Cherries are delicious fresh from the grocery store, farmer’s market, or pick-your-own orchard. Be sure to wash them before eating because they may have been sprayed with pesticides.  They can sweeten breakfast cereal or yogurt, or top an ice cream treat.  Cherries both sweet and tart are baked into pies, cobblers, and crisps. They can also be made into sauces, salsas, and dressings served with savory dishes. While most often eaten cold they can be roasted with sugar or with some salt and olive oil. So, enjoy a bowl of cherries. They contribute color and flavor to our food and provide health benefits to our bodies.

References

• [1] Agclassroom.org. Cherries Published 2025. Accessed June 7, 2025. https://cdn.agclassroom.org/ca/factsheets/cherry

• [2]  Top 20 Fruits and Vegetables Sold in the U.S. 2020. International Fresh Produce Association. Published November 12, 2021. https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/consumer-trends/top-20/

• [3]  Austin, A. People with sensitive stomachs avoid eating cherries. Here's why. USA Today. April 6, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/08/06/are-cherries-good-for-you/74503368007/

• [4] Southern Living.  Our 6 Favorite Types Of Cherries. Published 2021. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.southernliving.com/food/fruits/types-of-cherries

• [5] Kubala J. 7 Impressive Health Benefits of Cherries. Healthline. Published June 19, 2019. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cherries-benefits#healthier-heart

• [6] Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD. A Review of the Health Benefits of Cherries. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. Published 2018 Mar 17. ``

• [7] Fonseca LRS, Silva GR, Luís Â, et al. Sweet Cherries as Anti-Cancer Agents: From Bioactive Compounds to Function. Molecules. 2021;26(10):2941. Published 2021 May 15. doi:10.3390/molecules26102941

• [8] Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH. Effectiveness of Cherries in Reducing Uric Acid and Gout: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. Published 2019 Dec 4. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757

• [9] Zhang Y, Neogi T, Chen C, Chaisson C, Hunter DJ, Choi HK. Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks. Arthritis Rheum. 2012;64(12):4004-4011. doi:10.1002/art.34677

• [10] Gao R, Chilibeck PD. Effect of Tart Cherry Concentrate on Endurance Exercise Performance: A Meta-analysis. J Am Coll Nutr. 2020;39(7):657-664. doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1713246

• [11] Levers K, Dalton R, Galvan E, et al. Effects of powdered Montmorency tart cherry supplementation on acute endurance exercise performance in aerobically trained individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016;13:22. Published 2016 May 26. doi:10.1186/s12970-016-0133-z

• [12] Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012;51(8):909-916. doi:10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7

• [13] Are Cherry Pits Safe to Eat? Cyanide Content and More. Healthline. Published April 14, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cherry-pits

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Photo Credits to  Mary B Grosvenor, MS, RD