For many of us, fresh cherries are a go-to summertime snack—and thankfully, this mouthwatering stone fruit is as nutritious as it gets.
Besides being high in both vitamins A and C, cherries are loaded with anti-inflammatory nutrients called anthocyanins, which are what give them their vibrant dark red and burgundy-purple color, says Suzanne Dixon, M.P.H., M.S., RDN, research consulting lead at Humana.
The anthocyanins in cherries have such potent anti-inflammatory activity that they may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, according to a 2021 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. "They've even been studied as a way to reduce pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and muscular pain post-workout," says Dixon.
But after eating large amounts (which is easy to do since they're beyond delish), you may have also noticed another, less appealing talent that cherries possess—their ability to slingshot through your digestive tract almost as soon as you've swallowed them.
What's behind the havoc that cherries wreak on your insides and how can you stop the madness? Read on to find out what the experts say.
Why Do Cherries Make You Poop?
Cherries contain fiber, a known laxative that relieves constipation. Depending on the type of cherry, they can contain up to 3 grams of fiber per cup, both soluble and insoluble. "Soluble fiber helps the body digest foods more slowly and control blood sugar levels," says Maggy Doherty, M.S., RD, LD, CEDS owner of Doherty Nutrition.
Meanwhile, insoluble fiber helps to add bulk to your stool, which helps move waste through the body more efficiently. The result? Fewer intestinal traffic jams.
However, it's probably not the fiber in cherries causing your digestive woes. For most people, cherries don't contain enough fiber to cause a noticeable increase in number-two trips when they eat just a serving or two. To put this into context, one serving is half a cup of cherries, or roughly 1.5 grams of fiber so not that much. "When people notice a laxative effect from cherries, they may be reacting to two other features of this fruit," says Dixon.
The first is the naturally occurring sugar alcohols that cherries contain. "Most people think of sugar alcohols as only being found in processed food, gum and candy," says Dixon. "But some fruits contain sugar alcohols, too," adds Dixon.
So, if you're sensitive to sweets like low-calorie ice cream and sugarless candy that may have sugar alcohols added, odds are you'll be quite sensitive to cherries too. "Even a single serving of cherries will make you poop—and really quickly," says Dixon.
In other words, sugar alcohols—including the ones in cherries—can cause diarrhea if you're sensitive to them. This can be especially true in people with IBS since they tend to be sensitive to sugar alcohols and also fructose, the fruit sugar in cherries.
Cherries, in addition, are a source of salicylates, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of Functional Foods. You may recognize the word because it's uber-similar to salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin. "Salicylic acid is one of many different salicylates," says Dixon. "Some people are sensitive to these substances and when they take aspirin or eat too many cherries, they end up with major GI upset."
Rest assured that cherries don't contain nearly as many salicylates as aspirin but do contain enough to cause a reaction in people who are super sensitive to them.
How to Enjoy Cherries without Feeling Sick
Not to sound all Captain Obvious, but the best way to enjoy cherries—without bolting to the bathroom afterward—is in moderation. "Most people, even those who are somewhat sensitive to the sugar alcohols and salicylates in cherries, can still enjoy them," says Dixon. The trick is to experiment to find your threshold of tolerance.
To start, stick to one serving (1/2 cup or about 7 cherries, depending on their size), see how your gut reacts, and go from there. Take the time to measure them, so you're not tempted to keep popping them in your mouth. Otherwise, you may risk your insides retaliating.
Another handy strategy is to avoid combining cherries with other foods you know you don't tolerate well. "If you're sensitive to cherries, you may also be sensitive to other fruits with similar substances in them, especially sugar alcohols," says Dixon. These fruits include watermelon, blackberries, nectarines, pears, apples and avocado. Knowing this, you don't want to eat cherries as part of a big fruit salad with these potentially problematic foods.
On the flip side, enjoy cherries with foods you know you tolerate well. "Diluting the substances found in cherries can lessen their effect on the GI tract," says Dixon. Eating them with other foods as part of a typical meal, rather than on an empty stomach as a snack, can make them less likely to cause GI distress.
In addition to using frozen or fresh black cherries in smoothies, like our Anti-inflammatory Cherry-Spinach Smoothie, Doherty suggests adding fresh cherries to Greek yogurt or tossing dried cherries into your trail mix. She says, "All these methods help incorporate this healthy fruit into your diet without overdoing it."
Healthy Cherry Recipes
The Bottom Line
Cherries are a healthy fruit, full of essential vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Eating cherries alone or as an ingredient in a dish will most likely not make you poop unless you're sensitive to the sugar alcohols or salicylates in the fruit.
Sensitivities to sugar alcohols or salicylates in cherries can cause an IBS flare, gas, bloating, stomach pain and diarrhea—even in people without IBS. Sensitivities also include allergies, especially if you're allergic to or have negative reactions to salicylate-containing products, like aspirin. Pay attention to how your body reacts to cherries and adjust how many you eat accordingly.
