Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Fruit Of The Week - Cherry


Fruit Information:
The native range of the wild cherry extends through most of Europe, western Asia and parts of northern Africa, and the fruit has been consumed through its range since prehistoric times. A cultivated cherry is recorded as having been brought to Rome by Lucius Licinius Lucullus from northeastern Anatolia, modern day Turkey, also known as the Pontus region, in 72 BC. - Catholic Encyclopedia

Health Benefits: 
Cherry fruits are very rich in stable anti-oxidant melatonin. Melatonin can cross the blood-brain barrier easily and produces soothing effects on the brain neurons, calming down nervous system irritability which helps relieve neurosis, insomnia and headache conditions. - Nutrition & You

The first published evidence that melatonin may be useful in Alzheimer's disease was the demonstration that this neurohormone prevents neuronal death caused by exposure to the amyloid beta protein, a neurotoxic substance that accumulates in the brains of patients with the disorder. - Pappolla M, Bozner P, Soto C

Melatonin also inhibits the aggregation of the amyloid beta protein into neurotoxic microaggregates that, it seems, underlie the neurotoxicity of this protein, causing death of neurons and formation of neurofibrillary tangles, the other neuropathological landmark of Alzheimer's disease. - Wang XC, Zhang J, Yu X

Melatonin is involved in synchronizing the body's hormone secretions, setting the brain's internal clock and generating circadian rhythms (daily biorhythms). Melatonin helps regulate sleep-wake or circadian rhythms. Melatonin is also one of the hormones that controls the timing and release of female reproductive hormones. As a result, melatonin helps determine when menstruation begins, the frequency and duration of menstrual cycles, and when menstruation ends (menopause).  - Vitamin Supplements 

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, clinical studies have demonstrated that melatonin is more effective than a placebo treatment when taken over a short period of time to help with insomnia. One study in particular, which was carried out on people aged 55 and over, found that sustained-release melatonin supplements helped to improve the quality of life of insomniacs, in addition to improving the quality of sleep and the ability to sleep. - Natural Health 


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