Cherry Orchards, Nutrition, and Providential Phenology | The Institute for Creation Research

Cherry Orchards, Nutrition, and Providential Phenology
As June transitions into July, it’s time for fruit harvesting—including apples, peaches, pears, and cherries. Notice how fruit phenology (seasonal life cycles) is linked to the timing of agricultural harvesting.

As peach thinning continues, the first fruits are ready to be harvested; sweet cherries in mid-June and sour cherries in late June or early July. July also brings ripe plums, the ever-popular Yellow Transparent and Earligold apples, and the start of the peach season. Peach season begins at the beginning of July and continues into the second week of September. The entire peach season overlaps with the apple harvest. The end of August is an intense time in the orchard. All three major fruits—apples, peaches, and pears—are ripe. The apple varieties of Gala, Honeycrisp and Golden Supreme are harvested right in the middle of peach season.1

Nutritionists tend to give more attention to apples, pears, and peaches, but cherries also deserve some acclaim for their nutritional benefits. Both sweet cherries and sour cherries are bountifully beneficial for human health.

Increased oxidative stress contributes to development and progression of several human chronic inflammatory diseases. Cherries are a rich source of polyphenols and vitamin C which have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.2

According to studies done by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service nutrition scientists, cherries have a lot of good to offer.

We found 29 (tart 20, sweet 7, unspecified 2) published human studies which examined health benefits of consuming cherries.…Consumption of cherries decreased markers for oxidative stress in 8/10 studies; inflammation in 11/16; exercise-induced muscle soreness and loss of strength in 8/9; blood pressure in 5/7; arthritis in 5/5, and improved sleep in 4/4. Cherries also decreased hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) in diabetic women, and VLDL and TG/HDL in obese participants. These results suggest that consumption of sweet or tart cherries can promote health by preventing or decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.2

Cherries, although small in size, are large in nutritional value.3

The cherry fruit is a nutrient dense food with relatively low caloric content and significant amounts of important nutrients and bioactive food components including fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, and potassium. In addition, cherries are also good source of tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin.2

In short, it’s good to include cherries, both sweet and sour, in your diet.

Given the high concentrations of bioactive compounds (e.g., anthocyanins, hydoxycinnamates, Flavin-3-ols) in cherries, it is not surprising that cherry consumption promotes health. Results from published animal and human studies suggest that consumption of cherries may reduce the risk of several chronic inflammatory diseases including, arthritis, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and cancer. Furthermore, there is evidence that cherry consumption may improve sleep, cognitive function, and recovery from pain after strenuous exercise.2

Based upon what we know about God’s goodness in how He provides nutritious food, we shouldn’t be surprised that cherries are good for us.3

References
1. Kauffman, C., S. Kauffman, J. Kauffman et al. 2015. One Hundred Years of Faith, Family & Fruit: A Ripe & Fruitful History (1915—2015). Bird-in-Hand, PA: Kauffman’s Fruit Farm & Market, 46-109, with quotations from pages 50-51. The Kauffmans’ Bird-in-Hand cherry orchard observations are corroborated by historic observations of harvested cherries (1963-1967) in Browningsville, Maryland.
2. Kelley, D. S., Y. Adkins, and K. D. Laugero. 2018. A Review of the Health Benefits of Cherries. Nutrients.10 (3): 368. Posted at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov on March 17, 2018, accessed on June 20, 2020.
3. Acts 14:17.

*Dr. Johnson is Associate Professor of Apologetics and Chief Academic Officer at the Institute for Creation Research.
The Latest
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...

NEWS
Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving
While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues...

CREATION PODCAST
Humanity's Demise at the Hands of Genetic Entropy | The Creation...
Welcome to the fourth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
''Inside-Out'' Fossil is Amazingly Preserved
It is widely known that vast numbers of fossils—vertebrate and invertebrate—have been discovered incredibly well-preserved.1,2...

NEWS
The Resurrection and the Origin of Life
At Easter time we focus on the cardinal Christian doctrine of the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is a sham. The truth that Jesus...

NEWS
Is an Ancient Extinct Tree-Dweller Our Relative?
Human evolution has always been hazy with seemingly as many attempted explanations for how we evolved from animals as there are paleoanthropologists. Evolutionists...

NEWS
The Return of the Dire Wolf?
There’s been much recent excitement about the birth of three dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) puppies by a Dallas-based biotech company: Colossal Bioscience....

CREATION PODCAST
Cracks in the Layers: Lake Suigetsu and the Old Earth Illusion...
Welcome to the third episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
Fish Fossil Vomit
A rather unsavory news story recently appeared regarding fossilized vomit. Although it’s hardly dinner table conversation, it nonetheless supports...

NEWS
Dino Footprints Down Under
Dinosaur trackways1 are once again making the news. Australia is the setting of a remarkable series of dinosaur tracks attributed to ornithischian...