What Are Benefits Of Eating Dried Cherries?

Cherry season comes and goes, but you can preserve the bright taste of cherries year-round by making dried cherries. If you do not have the means to make them at home, many grocery stores sell them. Eating dried cherries imparts many health and nutrition benefits, so make them a regular part of your diet.

Appropriate for Snacking

Dried cherries can make an excellent choice for between-meal snacks. A half-cup serving of this dehydrated fruit contains 224 calories and only trace amounts of fat. The Diet Channel notes the benefits of eating 100- to 200-calorie snacks, such as dried cherries, throughout the day. Your metabolism stays elevated, and it might help prevent overeating at your next meal.

Fiber

Each half-cup serving of dried cherries provides 2.8 g of fiber; you should try to include 25 to 38 g of fiber in your diet each day if you are an adult, although as you get older -- over the age of 51 -- you require less: 21 to 30 g daily. The fiber in dried cherries benefits your bowel function and digestion, but it might also help decrease your risk of some types of cancer. A study published in the May 2011 issue of "Nutrition and Cancer" indicates that eating dried fruit, such as dried cherries, might reduce your chances of developing colorectal polyps, which sometimes become cancerous.

Iron

Eat dried cherries to boost your intake of iron -- a half-cup portion contains 2 mg of iron. This might seem like a small amount, but adult men only require 8 mg of iron per day. Women need a bit more -- 18 mg per day -- especially when they lose blood through menstruation. Pregnant women need significantly more: 27 mg daily. The iron in dried cherries revs up your red blood cell production, ensuring that your body gets the correct amount of oxygen.

Calcium

Dried cherries have a small amount of calcium: 56 mg per half-cup serving. Although this satisfies only a small portion of the amount you require each day -- 1,000 mg for adults, 1,200 mg for adults over the age of 51, and 1,300 mg for pregnant and breastfeeding women -- every bit of calcium you consume helps boost the density of your bones.