Introduction: It's June, the peak season for cherry buying and selling. However, around the Dragon Boat Festival, "urgent notices" about cherries being "worm-infested" this year have been spreading on Weibo and WeChat. These notices claim, "A type of maggot is parasitic in cherries, with nearly 100% infestation," urging people not to buy cherries. Some netizens have even jokingly called the worm-infested cherries "meat-filled cherries."
To verify the claim, some netizens in Shaanxi, Beijing, Qingdao, Guangzhou, and other places bought cherries themselves and conducted experiments based on methods described online. After soaking some cherries in saltwater, small, thread-like worms did emerge. Some even posted photos, exclaiming how disgusting it was and saying they would no longer dare to eat cherries.
According to Liu Qingzhong, a researcher at the Fruit Research Institute of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, based on his long-term research experience in cherry breeding and previous observations in orchards, the worms found in cherries are fruit fly larvae. "Apples, peaches, apricots, and other fruits can also have fruit fly larvae," he said. "These fruit flies feed on plant fruits, laying eggs under the peel, making them one of the common pests in fruits."
"The phenomenon of cherries having worms has occurred sporadically in previous years, but it's more severe this year." Cherries "set fruit" around the "Labor Day" holiday and have a growth period of only about a month. This year, due to lower temperatures during the same period, the cherry ripening period was delayed by half a month, overlapping with the growth period of fruit fly larvae, leading to a more severe pest infestation than in previous years.
Fruit for Health: Eating Cherries Regularly to Relieve Discomfort for Office Workers
Experts state that due to prolonged staring at screens, computer workers can deplete the light-sensitive substances on their retinas. If vitamin A and related nutrients are not replenished in time, it can easily lead to symptoms like eye pain, decreased vision, and photophobia, and may even trigger night blindness. Therefore, the vitamin A requirement for computer workers is much higher than for the general population. Measurements show that the vitamin A content in every 100 grams of fresh cherries is 4 to 5 times higher than in apples, grapes, and other fruits, which is greatly beneficial for this group.
In addition, prolonged computer operation can cause soreness and pain in finger joints, wrists, arm muscles, shoulders, neck, and back. Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, and vitamin E, all of which are effective antioxidants that are very effective in relieving muscle soreness. Eating cherries can reduce swelling and alleviate pain within a few days.
On the other hand, the iron content of cherries ranks first among fruits, exceeding that of citrus, pears, and apples by more than 20 times. Iron is a raw material for hemoglobin, making it particularly suitable for women affected by computer radiation.
Experts suggest soaking cherries in rice vinegar for a week and drinking 20 ml each morning and evening, which is very effective for improving various symptoms caused by long-term computer use. However, it should be noted that cherries should not be eaten in excess because, in addition to being high in iron, they also contain a certain amount of cyanogenic glycosides, and excessive consumption can lead to iron poisoning or cyanide poisoning.
Cute Cherries: A Great Gift for Women's Beauty
1. A Natural Medicine
The entire cherry plant is a good medicine for gynecology. Taking 500 grams of cherry leaves, adding water to make a decoction for a sitz bath once a day can treat trichomonas vaginalis. Burning cherry branches into ashes and taking them with yellow wine can treat women's cold knees, dysmenorrhea, and lower abdominal cold pain. Using 30-60 grams of cherry roots, adding water to make a decoction and drinking it has the effect of regulating qi and activating blood, and is good for treating women's qi and blood disharmony, liver fire flourishing, palms that are hot, and amenorrhea.
Folk experience shows that the benefits of eating cherries are not limited to one. Cherries can treat burns and scalds, acting as an astringent to relieve pain and prevent the wound from blistering and suppurating. At the same time, cherries can also treat mild to severe frostbite.
2. A Good Medicine for Nourishing Skin and Beauty
Cherries have been called "beauty fruit" since ancient times. Ancient Chinese medical books describe it as able to "moisten the skin" and "make one's complexion good and appearance beautiful." Regular consumption can make the skin smoother and more moisturized. This is mainly because the iron content in cherries is extremely rich. The iron content in 100 grams of pulp is 6 times that of strawberries, 10 times that of jujubes, 13 times that of hawthorn, and 20 times that of apples, ranking first among all fruits. Applying cherry juice to the face and wrinkles can make facial skin ruddy, tender, and white, and can reduce wrinkles and fade spots.
3. An Iron-Rich Blood Producer
The iron content in cherries should be the highest in the fruit world, ranking first among all fruits. Iron is a raw material for synthesizing human hemoglobin and myoglobin, playing an important role in processes such as human immunity, protein synthesis, and energy metabolism. It is also closely related to brain and nerve function and the aging process. Regular consumption of cherries can supplement the body's demand for iron, promote the regeneration of hemoglobin, prevent and treat iron-deficiency anemia, and enhance physical fitness and brain power.
4. A Powerful Antioxidant Soldier
First, the red color of cherries is formed by complex components, one of which is a plant chemical called "anthocyanin," which has a strong "antioxidant" effect. Antioxidation is an important physiological function. The aging of the human body, the decline of physical functions, chronic diseases, and the occurrence of certain tumors are all related to oxidative reactions dominated by free radicals in the body.
The antioxidant effect of anthocyanin is considered the strongest. The darker the color of the cherry, the higher the anthocyanin content. Therefore, purple cherries have the greatest antioxidant effect, followed by dark red cherries, then light red cherries, and yellow cherries have the least.
How to Select and Eat Cherries?
Generally speaking, cherries where fruit flies have laid eggs will have slightly softer skin, damage, and a sour, spoiled taste. Therefore, when selecting cherries, it is best to choose fresh fruits with intact skin and no small holes. If you are worried about worms in the cherries, you can soak them in light saltwater before eating. Cherries are best stored in the refrigerator, preferably with the stems on. The most suitable temperature is 2°C to 5°C, which can maintain a fresh and tender texture. Cherries are afraid of heat, and open-air transportation or storage may attract fruit flies to lay eggs.
Theoretically, cherries should be chosen for being large and red, but some people are afraid to eat larger cherries, thinking that they were treated with expanders during growth. This is actually a misunderstanding. Cherries treated with expanders are more likely to crack, resulting in poor quality. There are thousands of varieties of cherries, but four common ones are found in the market: Hongdeng, Xianfeng, Leni, and Zaohong. Large and red does not necessarily mean delicious; some may be a bit bitter. This is due to different varieties. The varieties that taste sweeter are Xianfeng and Leni. If you have bad teeth, buy the soft and sweet Leni variety.
Therefore, remember these three tips for selecting cherries: 1. Wide top and narrow bottom. 2. Fresh and bright stems. 3. Fresh and bright skin.
Precautions for Eating Cherries
1. Cherry pits contain cyanogenic glycosides, which produce hydrocyanic acid upon hydrolysis, so caution is needed to avoid poisoning when used medicinally.
2. Those with ulcers, those with "internal heat," should consume with caution; diabetics should avoid them.
3. The high potassium content in cherries should not be overlooked. Every 100 grams contains 258 milligrams of potassium, which is not a small number for patients with kidney disease. If a patient with kidney disease loses the function of their kidneys to regulate water and electrolytes, they will experience oliguria and edema. During oliguria, potassium retention can occur due to reduced excretion. If the patient eats too many cherries, they may develop hyperkalemia.
When blood potassium > 6.5 millimoles/liter, it can cause the patient's heart to stop beating in a few seconds to minutes. Therefore, hyperkalemia can be said to be a "silent killer" for chronic kidney disease.
4. Cherries are a fruit with very high nutritional value. However, according to traditional Chinese medicine, cherries are a "heaty" food, and eating too much can easily lead to "internal fire." Generally, eating about 10 at a time is more appropriate.