It is common for someone to swallow a cherry pit especially while drinking a smoothie or while munching on cherries themselves.A cherry is a summer fruit that is not only filled with a range of vitamins and minerals but also tastes pretty good. Similar to fruits like apricots and plums, cherries are considered as fleshy stone fruits.Fleshy stone fruits, as the name suggests, contain a seed in their center which is known as a ‘stone’ and is enclosed by a hard pit. These hard pits contain a chemical called amygdalin which when consumed by humans gets converted into hydrogen cyanide. As the human body converts the chemical into hydrogen cyanide, it deprives the body of oxygen which can lead to cyanide poisoning. Interestingly, whether swallowing a cherry pit will harm your body or not depends upon if you consume it as a whole or have accidentally chewed or crushed it.What happens if you swallow a cherry seed while pregnant?Upon swallowing a cherry pit, whether it proves to be harmful to you or not depends upon how you have swallowed the cherry pit. Cherries are stone fruits that contain pits inside them that are filled with the chemical amygdalin.In the case that you are pregnant and have accidentally consumed a cherry pit or multiple cherry pits, you do not need to worry until and unless you have chewed or crushed the pit while accidentally eating it. Directly swallowing a cherry pit wouldn’t harm your body as it would pass through your intestines without causing any harm but if the cherry pit is chewed it can release the toxic chemical amygdalin which can lead to the generation of hydrogen cyanide in the body causing cyanide poisoning. It can take a day or two to pass a cherry pit.Can cherry seeds get stuck in your intestines?There have been several instances in the past where children have accidentally swallowed cherry pits instead of spitting them out. We all know that cherry pits’ poisonous content of amygdalin is proven to be harmful to human health as it can lead to cyanide poisoning but to your relief, swallowing cherry pits won’t lead to any health damage.This is generally because cherry pits are indigestible and thus won’t get stuck in the intestines as they cannot be broken down without chewing in the mouth. It has been observed that swallowing cherry pits is a bigger threat as a choking hazard than as a health hazard because of cyanide poisoning. Your intestines thus won’t be harmed by the poisonous content within the cherry pits and wouldn’t lead to a decline in the oxygen levels in your blood which is proven to be pretty dangerous.Can eating too many cherries hurt you?When you eat cherries, the sweet taste you get makes you eat more and more but excess of anything irrespective of how healthy they may harm your body. Although, unlike many other fruits, cherries contain a toxic chemical inside, the chances of experiencing severe health issues on excess consumption are still low, unless you experience cherry-related allergies.It has been noted that apart from posing as a choking hazard, eating a lot of cherries can lead to gastrointestinal issues including the likes of cramping, gas, and other stomach-related issues. Eventually, with prolonged stomach-related problems, you might suffer from diarrhea as well solely due to overconsumption of cherries. The primary reason behind these symptoms is that cherry is a fruit that contains a considerable amount of dietary fiber which our stomach cannot digest easily, and cherry pits or seeds then move through the digestive system of our body entirely intact causing such symptoms.How many cherries should you eat a day?Cherries are undoubtedly one of the healthiest fruits available. They contain a host of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin A. The antioxidant properties of cherries are another reason why you should look to include cherries in your everyday diet. The antioxidant properties help keep the body’s cardiovascular system in check and also keep the insulin levels, cells, and nerves in perfect health. As with most food items, the key is moderation.Eating around 15-20 cherries a day is believed to be the perfect quantity as on average, a total of 21 cherries contain around 100 calories but provide 15% of your everyday vitamin C requirements. Eating massive amounts of cherries can be pretty harmful but when consumed in a controlled manner, cherries just like apricots and plums, are one of the best fruits to have. Additionally, a study has concluded that cherry consumption has proven to lower levels of uric acid.
It is common for someone to swallow a cherry pit especially while drinking a smoothie or while munching on cherries themselves.
