Fruits form an important part of a healthy balanced diet. However, there are some fruits that fall under the category of acidic food. Acidic foods have a low pH, which makes them irritating for those with gastritis. Cherries may be damaging to your health if you consume them in large amounts at once.
Without further ado, let’s find out how cherries affect our health, and whether we should actually avoid them or not.
Are Cherries Acidic?
Generally, when fruits have a pH range below 7, they are acidic fruits. When they have a pH range greater than 7, they are alkaline or high alkaline fruit. Among so many acidic foods, it is important to know which fruits have an acidic pH and which fruits fall under the category of alkaline food.
Fruits such as blueberries, grapes, apples, peaches, pineapples, raspberries, and cherries have a pH range of 3 to 4. Since cherries have such a low pH of 3 to 4, they fall under the category of acidic foods. The answer to the question “are cherries acidic”, would be for them, “yes”.
What pH do cherries have?
Cherries have a pH range of 3 to 4, which gives them their acidic attributes.
Why are cherries acidic ?
Cherries have different kinds of ingredients which makes them acidic. What are these ingredients? Let’s find out.
Sweet cherries have 7 mg of Vitamin C and sour cherries have 10 mg of Vitamin C. In 100g of sweet cherries, there is 0.2 mg of Pantothenic Acid. Sour cherries have 0.1 mg of Pantothenic Acid. Sweet and sour cherries have 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg of niacin consecutively.
Sweet cherries have 64 IU of Vitamin A. On the other hand, sour cherries have 1283 IU of Vitamin A. Lutein and Zeaxanthin is present in the same amounts in sweet and sour cherries, of 85 μg.
| Ingredients | Amount per 100 gm in Cherries |
| Vitamin C | Sweet cherries- 7 mgSour cherries- 10mg |
| Pantothenic Acid | Sweet cherries- 0.2 mgSour cherries- 0.1 mg |
| Niacin | Sweet cherries- 0.2 mgSour cherries- 0.4 mg |
Types of Cherries and their Acidity
Cherries are mainly of two types according to their taste. These categories are tart cherries and sweet cherries. Let’s take a glance at them.
Tart Cherries
Because they have a naturally lower sugar concentration and are fairly juicy, tart cherries, sometimes called “sour” cherries, might be rather unappetizing when eaten fresh.
There are around 300 varieties of fresh sour or tart cherries in the market. Some of these include Early Richmond, English Morello, Meteor, North Star and Montmorency.
Sweet Cherries
Sweet cherry varieties are also of different types. Let’s take a closer look at the varieties of sweet cherries available. Bing, Chelan, Lapins, Rainier, Tulare and Lambert are some of the sweet cherry varieties available.
Food Items Made from Cherries
Different kinds of food items are made from cherries. Cherries are scrumptious fruits that go hand-in-hand, especially with desserts. Let’s have a glance at what desserts can be made from tart and sweet cherries.
Desserts from Tart Cherries
Early Richmond is used for making jams, jellies and pies. English Morello and Meteor are used for pies. Montmorency and North Star are best for pies as well because of their tartness.
Desserts from Sweet Cherries
Sweet cherries can be used for making cake frostings and cakes such as blackforest cakes. The varieties of sweet cherries that are used for the desserts are Bing, Chelan, Rainier, Lapins, Lambert, Tulare, etc.
Do Cherries Cause Acid Reflux?
If you have acid reflux syndrome, then you need to think twice before having cherries. There is a chance that cherry juice and cherries themselves might trigger heartburn and acid reflux.
Although cherries are generally excellent for you, not all types are suitable for those with acid reflux.
Consuming excessive cherry juice may trigger acid reflux. Sweet cherries are better for acid reflux than extremely acidic or tart cherries. However, cherry juice is much worse than the entire fruit for those who suffer from acid reflux.
What Does Acid Reflux Mean?
The condition known as acid reflux occurs when stomach acids leak up the esophagus and into the throat area. Acid reflux disease, commonly known as gastroesophageal disease, results in recurring bouts of acid reflux (GERD).
Two to three occurrences of acid reflux may happen per week if the person has the disease. One of the most common reasons for this is an abnormality of the esophagus. Stomach contents, such as acid, flow back into the throat, which causes inflammation of the lining of the throat.
Do All Kinds of Cherry Preparations Make Acid Reflux Worse?
Are cherries acidic forming? Cherries will not create acid reflux if you don’t have the condition, and they’re a healthy fruit to consume in general. If you have a chronic condition that causes you to suffer from acid reflux at least twice a week, you should avoid cherries on an empty stomach..
Also, because cherries don’t actively battle acid reflux, eating them won’t help the acid reflux disappear.
However, acid reflux sufferers should know that not all cherries and cherry products are the same.
It is possible that eating a moderate quantity of fresh sweet cherries will help alleviate symptoms of acid reflux illness, as long as it does not cause the stomach fluids to come up. Cherry juice and sour or tart cherries may both upset the stomach if you suffer from reflux of acid.
The more tart or sour cherries you eat, the more likely you are to get reflux, which means intake and the disease are proportional.
FAQ
1. Why are some cherries tart or sour?
Malic acid, which gives sour cherries their distinctive tartness, is present in higher concentrations in the fruit. They have malic acid content of 1.2–1.9 percent.
2. Do cherries contain citric acid?
Citric acid is present in many fruits, and cherries are one of them. Pineapples, raspberries, and many other acidic fruits contain citric acid. Citric acid is an acid that has numerous health benefits.
3. Are Cherries Acid?
No, cherries are not acids themselves. They contain acidic compounds which make them acidic.
