Have you believed these 3 cherry-related rumors?

Source: Internet Joint Rumor Debunking Platform

It's cherry season

however

For example, swallowing cherry pits can be poisoned

The little white worms in the cherry will get sick if they eat it

A big cherry is used with hormones and other rumors

It also troubles people who are hungry for cherries

See what experts in food science have to say

Myth one

Women eat 5 cherries

Biting the cherry pit was poisoned

There was a video in the circle of friends that the person swallowed 5 cherries and suffered abdominal pain and dizziness shortly after swallowing. Then, the video author "Popular Science" said that this happened because the cherry kernel contains cyanosides, which react with stomach acid to produce highly toxic cyanyl ions, which can lead to cyanide poisoning.

unscramble

Although cherry kernels are poisonous, there is no danger in eating a few by mistake

Professor Liu Shaowei, a member of the expert group of the Shanghai Food Safety Research Association, said in an interview with reporters that cherry kernels do contain cyanogenic glycosides, cyanogenic glycosides are actually non-toxic, but cherry kernels also have their own hydrolytic enzymes, if the cherry pits are bitten or chewed, this hydrolase contact with water, will lead to cyanoside catabolism, and eventually produce highly toxic hydrocyanic acid.

But the cherry pit itself is very hard and difficult to chew or digest, and the cyanogenic glycosides contained in the core have no chance to be released, so it cannot produce highly toxic hydrocyanic acid.

At the same time, any toxic substance can only exert toxic effects after reaching a certain edible dose. The content of cyanogenic glycosides in a single cherry is very small, and 1 kg of cherry kernels contains tens of micrograms of cyanogenic glycosides, and then decomposed into hydrocyanic acid. The lethal amount of hydrocyanic acid to people is about 0.5 mg - 3.5 mg per kilogram of body weight, that is, even if you eat 1 kg of cherry pits, you may not be able to reach the lethal amount.

Therefore, the statement that eating 5 cherry kernels is poisoned is obviously unreliable. Even if you occasionally swallow a few cherry pits, they will be excreted with the feces the next day, so there is generally no need to worry.

Myth two

The white worm in the cherry is a virus

People who eat it may become allergic or even sick

There are rumors that the small white worms that bubble in the water when washing cherries are a virus (some say roundworms), and people eating them may cause indigestion, headaches, and allergy symptoms. Especially for people with allergies, eyelids and nose are prone to redness and itching, and in severe cases, they may cause other harm to the body.

unscramble

The little white worms in the cherry are fruit flies, and people will not get sick if they eat them

Professor Liu Shaowei analyzed that the small white worms that appeared in the water when washing cherries were not viruses or roundworms, but an insect larvae called "cherry fruit fly". Cherry fruit fly is a kind of fruit fly, not only cherries, but also bayberry, blueberry, strawberry and other berry fruits, they may be seen.

The appearance of cherry fruit flies is related to weather and variety. Accidentally eating fruit fly larvae is not harmful to the human body itself. This is because the fruit fly from hatching larvae to adult growth, the whole stage is carried out in the non-polluted environment inside the fruit, so it rarely produces pathogens, which is incomparable to the houseflies that belong to the same family of diptera shorthorn flies. At the same time, fruit fly larvae cannot withstand the erosion of stomach acid and die soon after entering the human stomach.

Myth three

Big Big Mac cherry

All hit hormones

There are large and small cherries on the market, some people say that the fruit growth limit of large cherries is a single fruit weight of 12 grams - 13 grams, and the big cherries that exceed this weight are hit with hormones, and it is unsafe and unhealthy to eat.

Interpretation of cherry size is mainly related to the variety, moderate use of bulking hormone, eat will not get sick

Professor Liu Shaowei analyzed that the size of cherries is mainly related to the variety. Different varieties, the size and form are naturally different, which is not necessarily related to whether to use hormones.

At present, the main cultivated large cherry varieties in the mainland, the average single fruit weight is indeed between 6 grams and 12 grams, but there are also many varieties of cherries such as pearls, red lights, early fruits, etc., the maximum single fruit weight can reach more than 13 grams; The maximum fruit weight of cherries of varieties such as Meizao, Taizhu, Black Pearl, and Samito can reach between 15 and 18 grams; The maximum fruit weight of the bright sun can reach 22.5 grams. Therefore, it is not reliable to judge whether cherries use hormones by the weight of a single fruit.

In addition, as a plant growth regulator that has been approved and strictly evaluated according to law, the role of bulking hormone is to promote cell division and increase the fruit. As long as it is used in accordance with the provisions of the product label, it does not pose a risk to cherry product safety and consumer health. At the same time, the use of bulking hormone is not as much as possible, and excessive use is easy to affect fruit quality and other counteractions, so fruit farmers generally cannot use it in large quantities.

At present, mainland open-field cherry orchards basically do not need to use bulking, and only a small number of greenhouse cherry orchards are limited to cultivation methods and need to use bulking hormone to improve pollination rate and fruit set rate. There are many cultivation measures for cherries to increase the size of a single fruit, such as thinning flowers and fruits, strengthening fertilizer water (more organic fertilizer, potassium fertilizer) management, etc., which can increase the quality of fruits and fruits, and the use of bulking hormone is only one of them.

Buy cherries, wash cherries, eat cherries

It is recommended that you follow this

01

Pick: "Three looks" to select good cherries

Look at the color, the dark taste is sweeter. Generally speaking, under the premise that the fruit does not spoil, the darker and brighter cherry anthocyanins have relatively more content and a sweeter taste.

Looking at the gloss, the stronger the gloss, the better the taste and fresher the quality of the cherry.

Looking at the fruit stalk, the hard cherry on the fruit stem is fresher. Freshly picked cherry stalks are green, and as they are stored for longer time, the stalks will gradually turn black, and the nutrition and taste of the cherries will decrease.

02

Cleaning: Light salt water helps to bubble out small white worms

Not all cherries will have small white worms, and in general, fresh cherries only need to be continuously rinsed with tap water to remove any dirt that may exist on the surface of the cherry.

If you are not worried, you can rinse the cherries in rice water (preferably the first rice water) or lightly salted water for about 5 minutes. Rice water is alkaline, which can promote the degradation of acidic pesticides, while light salt water can not only kill the remaining microorganisms on the surface of cherries to a certain extent, but also "force" out the small white worms that may be hidden in the pulp. Finally, rinse again with clean water (or cold boiled water).

Some people say that it is impossible to soak the fruit flies in cherries directly with cold boiled water. To remove the fruit fly larvae in the cherry, it can only be achieved by changing the growth environment of the fruit fly larvae in the cherry, and salt, alkali, vinegar, etc. are all things that these little bugs are more sensitive or annoying.

03

Consumption: People with gastrointestinal sensitivity should not eat more

Cherries are rich in many vitamins and minerals, which are good for human health. According to relevant literature reports, the glycemic index of cherries is only 22, which is the lower one of all fruits, and is suitable for diabetics to eat in moderation; Cherries are also a high-potassium and low-sodium ingredient, containing about 222 mg of potassium in 100 grams of sweet cherries, the same level as bananas. But if compared to calories, cherries are only about half the size of bananas, which is relatively more suitable for people with high blood pressure.

However, cherries taste sour, and people with sensitive stomachs and intestines are recommended not to eat too much at one time, so as not to increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, some patients with kidney disease need to pay attention to limiting potassium intake, so the amount should also be strictly controlled. Of course, eating a few dozen pills generally does not bring any problems.

Source: China Consumer Daily · China Consumer Network (Reporter Li Jian)