Darker colors mean higher nutritional value? Does the presence of melatonin help with sleep?
Cherry season, even with price drops, don't overindulge.
[News Report] As soon as cherry season arrives, this small, deep red fruit frequently trends on social media. "Cherry prices plummet," "Cherry contains melatonin to aid sleep," "Cherry is a blood sugar-friendly fruit"... a series of labels have made cherries a hot topic of discussion. However, after achieving "cherry freedom," can we really indulge without worry?
Low GI is true
However, people with diabetes should not eat too much.
Cherries are labeled "glycemic-friendly" primarily due to their low glycemic index (GI). Chen Qianyi, chief nutritionist at the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University, said, "The GI value of cherries is usually between 29 and 63, varying depending on the variety and origin, but overall it belongs to the low to low-to-medium GI category of fruits." Generally speaking, foods with a GI value below 55 are considered to have a smaller impact on blood sugar and are suitable for moderate consumption by diabetic patients.
The sugar in fruit has a direct impact on blood sugar, but cherries are relatively mild in this regard. Chen Qianyi explained, "Cherries contain anthocyanins, flavonoids, and other substances that help improve insulin sensitivity, slow down sugar absorption, and have potential protective effects on cardiovascular metabolism."
However, this doesn't mean people with high blood sugar can eat whatever they want. "All fruits have one condition for diabetic patients: they can only be eaten in moderation when blood sugar is relatively stable," Chen Qianyi suggests. Diabetic patients should limit their daily intake to around 150 grams, which is about 15 medium-sized cherries. "Eating this amount as a snack between meals, without exceeding this amount each time, will have a smaller impact on blood sugar fluctuations."
Melatonin content is extremely low
Don't expect to cure insomnia
"Cherries contain melatonin" is one of the most popular search terms recently. Chen Qianyi said frankly: "Cherries do contain melatonin, but the content is extremely low. Every 100 grams of cherries contains only about 22 nanograms of melatonin."
What is the concept of "nanogram"? She gave an example: "1 to 3 milligrams of melatonin are needed to have a sleep-aiding effect. 1 million nanograms are equal to 1 milligram. Simply put, the amount of melatonin you get from eating cherries is far from enough to achieve a sleep-aiding effect."
She added, "Melatonin promotes sleep, and most studies use concentrated juice from European sour cherry varieties, which has a much higher concentration of melatonin than the fresh cherries we eat daily. So, instead of trying to improve your sleep by eating cherries, it's more practical to adjust your sleep schedule."
Faced with cherries ranging from bright red to deep purple on the market, many consumers believe that "the darker the color, the more nutritious it is." Chen Qianyi explained: "Anthocyanins are coloring substances, and darker varieties usually have higher levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids. However, for the same variety, the color of the peel mainly reflects the ripeness. The darker the color, the higher the ripeness and the higher the sugar content, while the differences in other beneficial components are not significant."
She suggested that people shouldn't focus too much on the depth of color, but rather pay more attention to the characteristics of the variety. For example, some varieties have a high anthocyanin content, so even if the color isn't the darkest, their nutritional value is still quite high.
Two or three pounds down
Chronic disease patients end up in the hospital
While cherries are delicious, excessive consumption may pose health risks, especially for those with chronic diseases who should exercise moderation.
Mr. Zhao (pseudonym), in his fifties, suffers from chronic kidney disease and does not strictly control his diet. After cherries came into season, he specifically bought large ones and ate two or three kilograms at once, almost 10 times the recommended amount. That evening, he experienced nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, and fatigue, accompanied by a significant decrease in urine output. After seeking medical attention at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, he was diagnosed with acute hyperkalemia, with a sharp rise in blood potassium levels and a rapid deterioration in kidney function indicators.
"Cherries are high in potassium, containing more than 200 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams," Chen Qianyi warned. "For people with normal kidney function, the body can regulate potassium excretion, but people with impaired kidney function have reduced regulatory ability, which can easily lead to potassium accumulation in the body, causing hyperkalemia, which can be life-threatening in severe cases."
For long-term diabetics, Chen Qianyi offers the following advice: "Many people now have continuous glucose monitoring devices, so why not take a test? Eat a fixed amount of cherries between meals and monitor your blood sugar changes half an hour and one hour before and after the meal. This will give you a clear understanding of your true reaction to this food, which is more instructive than simply looking at the GI value."
Qianjiang Evening News reporter Liu Qian, correspondent Li Wenfang, Zhang Bingqing
