A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).

Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet Prunus avium and the sour Prunus cerasus. The name 'cherry' also refers to the cherry tree and its wood, and is sometimes applied to almonds and visually similar flowering trees in the genus Prunus, as in "ornamental cherry" or "cherry blossom". Wild cherry may refer to any of the cherry species growing outside cultivation, although Prunus avium is often referred to specifically by the name "wild cherry" in the British Isles.

Whether you like them sweet or tart, these deep red fruits pack a healthful punch. Cherries are low in calories and chock full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and other good-for-you ingredients. You’ll get vitamins C, A, and K. Each long-stemmed fruit delivers potassium, magnesium, and calcium too. They also bring antioxidants, like beta-carotene, and the essential nutrient choline.

Cherries are rich in antioxidants. These are natural chemicals that can help your body deal with day-to-day damage to your cells. The havoc may come from normal metabolism, inflammation, exercise, smoking, pollution, or radiation. Some studies show that both sweet and tart cherries help reduce this damage. One small study found that drinking a little bit of tart cherry juice for 2 weeks helped.

In one small study of 19 women with diabetes, those that drank tart cherry juice every day for 6 weeks lost weight and lowered their blood pressure and blood sugar. That doesn’t mean the tangy nectar would keep you from getting diabetes. But it might offer a little help to those who already have the condition.

In the same study of 19 women, tart juice brought cholesterol levels down, which could cut your risk for heart disease. But other studies hold that neither sweet nor tart cherries change these risk factors in healthy adults. Some researchers say only people who are obese get this particular health benefit from the juice of these tiny red fruits.

Here is a cherry smoothie recipe for you to enjoy this delicious fruit.

Ingredients

2 cups Cherries, pitted

1 banana sliced, frozen

2 tablespoons Almond butter

1 cup Almond milk plus more if needed

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

½ teaspoon Almond extract

⅔ cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

½ cup ice (optional)

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth adding a little more almond milk or ice as needed to reach desired thickness, scraping down sides as needed.

Pour into glasses and enjoy garnished with fresh cherries, and a sprinkling of chia seeds.

Recipe Notes

You can pit and freeze the cherries for a smoother richer smoothie but that is optional.

If you are not using frozen cherries you can make sure that the banana you add in is frozen or you add some ice to make sure the smoothie stays chilled and those two things also add to the texture of the smoothie.

If you prefer your smoothie on the sweeter side please feel free to add sweetener of choice like agave or maple syrup or even toss in a few softened dried pitted dates, prunes or figs.

If your blender isn’t a high speed one you might find that the olds don’t blend up as much or into the smoothie as well - an easy solution to that is to first place the oats and the chia seeds in the blender first and on their own and blend them for a few seconds until they are a lot finer. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend again until smooth.