Lycopene has been touted as a powerful antioxidant compound found in fruits like tomatoes, watermelon, and guava. But do cherries also contain this carotenoid? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional profile of cherries and whether they can provide lycopene's potential health benefits.
Lycopene is a phytonutrient that gives specific leafy foods a radiant red tone. It falls under the carotenoid family alongside beta-carotene. Lycopene powder has produced interest because of exploration showing it might assist with bringing down the gamble of constant sicknesses on account of its high cell reinforcement movement. Tomatoes are by a wide margin the most extravagant wellspring of lycopene, yet watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, and other red-pigmented produce likewise contain it. This article will investigate whether cherries can be added to the rundown of lycopene sources and how consuming them might give well-being benefits.
What is Lycopene?
Lycopene is a red-orange fat-solvent carotenoid color tracked down normally in some plant food varieties. Synthetically it is an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing 11 formed and 2 non-formed twofold securities. This construction gives areas of strength for lycopene potential as it can kill free extremists that harm cells. Lycopene has been widely read up for its capacity to lessen risk factors for coronary illness, disease, diabetes, and age-related sicknesses. Nonetheless, the body can't deliver lycopene so it should be consumed through the eating routine by eating lycopene-rich leafy foods.
Tomatoes are by far the richest source, providing 80% of dietary lycopene. Processing tomatoes into ketchup, juice, or paste makes the lycopene powder more bioavailable. Other sources include watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, papaya, apricots, and rosehips. Research shows processing and cooking makes lycopene easier for the body to absorb and utilize.
Nutritional Profile of Cherries
Cherries are considered a nutritious fruit, packing the following nutrients per 100g serving (1):
- 50 calories
- 12g carbohydrates
- 1g protein
- 0g fat
- 2g fiber
- Vitamin C - 16% RDI
- Copper - 12% RDI
- Potassium - 3% RDI
- B vitamins, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese
- Polyphenol antioxidants like anthocyanins
The red pigment in cherries comes from anthocyanins while other colored varieties get their blush from carotenoids. However, cherries do not appear to be a significant source of lycopene based on nutritional data (1). The predominant carotenoids found in cherries include beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin (2).
Do Cherries Contain Lycopene?
Multiple food composition analyses consistently show that lycopene is either completely absent or found only in trace, undetectable amounts in cherries (1, 3). For example:
- A 100g serving of raw sweet cherries contains 0mcg of lycopene (1).
- Tomatoes can provide upwards of 8000mcg per 100g serving for comparison (4).
- One study analyzed 12 cherry tomato varieties - only the red-ripe tomatoes contained lycopene while the yellow and orange ones did not (5).
So despite being red and nutrient-rich, cherries lack significant lycopene. Their vivid color instead comes from the anthocyanin pigments also found in berries. Most studies have not even attempted to quantify lycopene levels in cherries since it is assumed they don't contain meaningful amounts based on nutritional profiling.
Health Benefits of Lycopene from Cherries
Since cherries do not contain lycopene, they cannot provide the specific health benefits associated with this carotenoid. Some of the potential advantages linked to lycopene include:
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Lowered disease risk, especially prostate disease
- Improved eye health
- Delaying cognitive decline
- Protecting skin from sun damage
However, cherries have their own set of unique health benefits attributed to their rich anthocyanin content. Some findings on cherries include:
- Reduced inflammation
- Lowered uric acid, helping prevent gout
- Decreased post-exercise muscle soreness and damage
- Improved sleep quality
- Benefits for arthritis pain and fibromyalgia
So while not a good source of lycopene powder, regularly eating cherries can still enhance your overall well-being in other ways.
Which Fruit Has the Most Lycopene?
Tomatoes, by far, have the highest lycopene food content per edible weight. To compare (3,6):
- Tomatoes: 7,443 - 8,117 mcg per 100g
- Watermelon: 4,979 - 6,020 mcg per 100g
- Guava: 2,381 - 5,525 mcg per 100g
- Papaya: 1,526 - 6,120 mcg per 100g
- Pink grapefruit: 1,937 - 4,980 mcg per 100g
Processed tomato products are even higher. For example, one cup of tomato juice (244g) can contain over 23,000 mcg of lycopene! (6)
Cherries did not even appear on any databases that compiled and ranked fruits high in lycopene, as they contain negligible amounts if any. While not a lycopene source, their anthocyanin antioxidants still provide anti-inflammatory protection.
Cooking and Consumption Tips
Since cherries lack lycopene, any cooking or serving suggestions would focus on maximizing the anthocyanin content:
- Choose tart or sour cherries over sweet, as they contain more anthocyanins.
- Eat cherries raw to get the highest nutrient values. Cooking has been shown to decrease anthocyanin levels.
- Use frozen cherries within a year of freezing to retain more anthocyains than canned versions.
- Drink cherry juice or make a smoothie rather than taking supplements, which have variable quality.
- Pair cherries with foods containing vitamin C like berries, citrus, greens, or yogurt to boost absorption of antioxidants.
- Incorporate pitted cherries into oatmeal, salads, baked goods, cottage cheese, or nonfat Greek yogurt for added nutrition and flavor.
- Enjoy a small bowl of cherries after meals as a naturally sweet way to get antioxidants.
Does Cooking Destroy Lycopene?
Interestingly, cooking tomatoes and other lycopene-rich fruits actually helps you absorb more lycopene naturally. The heat breaks down cell walls and allows the lycopene to be more readily released and utilized by the body. For example, sun-dried tomatoes provide 132% more bioavailable lycopene than raw tomatoes (7).
However, cooking does destroy anthocyanins in cherries and other similar berries. So for maximum anthocyanin retention, cherries and other berries are best eaten raw or lightly cooked. Canning and freezing cherries leads to some loss but less than cooking. Drying cherries into prunes or raisins preserves more antioxidants than juicing or canning.
Conclusion
In summary, cherries do not naturally contain any significant amount of the carotenoid lycopene. But they still offer important health benefits thanks to their anthocyanins, which give cherries their red color. Cherries can be enjoyed as part of an overall phytonutrient-rich diet to provide a range of protective compounds. For maximum lycopene, aim to include cooked tomato products, watermelon, and other established dietary sources.
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References
1. USDA FoodData Central. Cherries, sweet, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html/food-details/171711/nutrients
2. Chaovanalikit et al. Anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity in Roselle, blackberry, and cherry wines. Am J Enol Vitic. 2004;55(1):65-72.
3. USDA Database for the Carotenoid Content of Foods. Lycopene content per 100 grams. https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/carotenoid-content-foods-0
4. Lycopene content of tomatoes and tomato products. Clinton SK. Nutrition Reviews. 1998;56(7):91–93.
5. Porcu OM, Rodriguez-Amaya DB. Variation in carotenoid composition among cherry tomato varieties. J Food Sci. 2008;73(9):C674-C678.
6. Lycopene Content in Foods. Sommerburg O, Keunen JE, Bird AC, van Kuijk FJ. Foods. 2015;4(2):135-144.
7. Effect of food processing on lycopene bioavailability. Shi J, Le Maguer M. Nutrients. 2000;2(3):308-29.