Black cherry is a forest tree which grows to a height of 50-75 feet. It is fast growing with leaves 2-5 inches in length. The leaves have fine margin and are ovate-lanceolate. The 5-petalled flowers are small and white.
They blossom in racemes 4-6 inches long and contain a dozen flowers. The edible black cherry fruit is a ½-¾ inch in diameter. The bark of the tree is smooth but becomes rough and ragged after seven years.
Common names
The common name is Black cherry. The other names include rum cherry, mountain black cherry and wild cherry.
Botanical name and family
The botanical name for this plant is Prunus serotina. It belongs to the Rosaceae family.
Geological places where Black cherry tree grows
It grows natively in North and South America. Prunus serotina grows throughout New York State. It also grows on the Adirondack Mountains. It extends from western Minnesota south to eastern Texas. In Canada, you find it Ontario, southern Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
In India, it grows in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
Black cherry health benefits and medicinal uses
The medicinal properties occur due to chemicals present in the Black cherry. This includes anti-inflammatory compounds. They also contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has vitamin C and vitamin E.
Slow the aging process
Premature aging is due to the oxidative action of the free radicals. The action of the free radicals slows down when you have black cherry often. It helps preserve the healthy body cells in good condition by restricting the action of the free radicals.
Relief from insomnia
Black cherry contains serotonin the substance that induces sleep. Have a handful of cherries before going to bed, and you will have a sound sleep.
Good for the heart
The black cherry helps preserve the arterial walls. The heart becomes healthier. It keeps the heart diseases away and reduces the risk of stroke. It does this by decreasing the lipid levels. The protection from heart diseases is because the anthocyanin compounds present.
Prevent cancer
Cancer cells grow due to the oxidative action. Black cherry helps prevent the growth of the cancer cells. Have black cherry juice daily and stay protected from all forms of cancer.
Good for people suffering from Alzheimer’s
People suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease benefit by having black cherries.
Boosts energy
The rich nutrient content helps boost the energy. Drink a cup of cherry juice and get instantly energized.
Helps pain relief
The juice of black cherry helps rejuvenate the muscles and ease the pain and aches in the muscles and joints. Weight trainers take the black cherry juice to relax after a session.
Develop functioning of the brain
The fruit improves the functioning of the brain. It improves the flow of neurons within the brain. This helps the person think and react well. It improves the control over the body functions.
Good for the skin
The black cherry juice has the best effect on the skin. It corrects the blemishes and removes the pimples and warts. If you have the juice often, you will have flawless skin.
Has anti-inflammatory effect
The compounds in black cherry produce an anti-inflammatory effect. This helps people with gout. The inflammation in the joints produces pain. When you have the black cherry, it reduces the inflammation and the pain.
It prevents the crystallization of the uric acid. The uric acid crystals cause much pain. The anthocyanin helps break these crystals. The urate levels will drop significantly when you have black cherry juice for two weeks at least.
Improves the eyesight
The compounds in the black cherry help prevent macular degeneration. It helps improve the eyesight and preserve the function of the eyes for a long time.
Helps digestion
Improvement to the digestive system is another plus point of the black cherry. It strengthens the digestive tract and improves the metabolic activity. If you have any stomach complaints, have some black cherry juice. This will make your stomach conditions normal again.
Prevents muscle spasm
The cherry juice helps rectify the muscle spasms. This helps normalize the bowel movement. It soothes the smooth muscles and keeps the body function working well.
Reduce oxidative stress
The body remains subjected to oxidative stress when the free radicals rob the electrons from the DNA. The Black cherry helps prevent this condition by fighting the action of the free radicals. Have a bowl of cherries two to three times a week along with the evening tea.
Good for women during their periods
When women have their period, the muscle spasms will upset their schedule. To prevent this from happening, they can have some black cherry juice and the period will pass in peace.
Helps relieve symptoms of arthritis
Arthritis is a disease related to old age. The people afflicted by arthritis experience pain. This pain is due to swelling of the tissues in the joints. By having black cherry juice, the swelling comes under control, and the pain reduces.
Prevents tooth decay
Tooth decay occurs due to poor oral hygiene. If you have black cherry often, it prevents the formation of plaque. This helps preserve the tooth in good condition for a long time.
Reduce blood cholesterol
Black cherry juice reduces the bad lipids in the blood. This helps the heart health.
Cough suppressant properties
The soothing nature of black cherry help suppress a cough. It soothes the irritation in the air passages.
Improve intestinal function
The black cherry strengthens the GI tract. It soothes the lining and rectifies any malfunction. Your digestion improves, and you have a better appetite.
Enhance the metabolic activity
The enhanced digestion and reduced cholesterol help to augment the metabolic activity. Your health improves when you have cherry juice often.
Plenty of nutrients
The cherry juice has plenty vitamins and minerals. It also has antioxidants that help prevent damage to the healthy body cells.
Good for the hair
The cherry juice is great for the hair health. It improves the condition of the scalp and improves the tone of the hair.
Black cherry side effects and precautions
The leaves of the black cherry contain a dangerous substance. This substance undergoes a chemical reaction in our body and becomes a form of poison. Though the bark finds a use for medicinal purposes, yet it also has some toxic substance. So, consult an experienced practitioner of medicine before you have this.
References
https://www.livestrong.com/
https//en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.stylecraze.com/
