Cherries have been on the menu for centuries. The Greeks, Romans, and Chinese all valued cherries for their beautiful color and delicious taste, and settlers brought them to America in the 1600s. Modern research, moreover, is finding cherries to be not just a flavorsome fruit, but a powerhouse of disease-fighting antioxidants that carry a variety of health benefits:

Blood pressure. A study released in May 2016 found that men who drank tart Montmorency cherry juice reduced their blood pressure by 7 percent — a reduction comparable to the level achieved by drugs.

Study participants at Britain's Northumbria University had early hypertension with blood pressure readings of at least 130/90 mmHg. They were given either 60 ml (about 2 ounces) of cherry juice or a placebo cherry-flavored drink.

The participants who drank the cherry concentrate saw a peak reduction in their blood pressure of 7 mmHg in the three hours after consuming the drink. Those participants with blood pressure levels at the higher end of the scale saw the most benefit.

Previous studies found that reducing blood pressure 5 to 6 mmHg lowers the risk of stroke by 38 percent and the risk of coronary artery disease by 23 percent.

Researchers believe that the pressure-lowering benefit comes from the high amounts of phenolic acids — a potent antioxidant — contained in the cherry juice.

Insomnia. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition discovered that when adults drank two glasses of cherry juice daily (1 ounce of 100 percent pure cherry juice diluted in a pint of water per serving), they slept an average of 39 minutes longer. In addition, their overall sleep efficiency (significantly less non-sleep time in bed) was increased compared to when they drank a non-cherry fruit drink.

A study at the University of Texas Health and Science Center found that cherries contain melatonin, which helps reset the body's clock to promote more restful sleep.

Muscle recovery. Several studies have found that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice before intense exercise helps speed the post-exercise recovery process, such as muscle pain and weakness. A study published in Nutrients found that cyclists who drank cherry juice before a race suffered less inflammation and oxidative stress when compared to cyclists who drank other beverages.

Respiratory problems. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that cherry juice reduces upper tract symptoms, such as colds and sore throats, that often follow marathons. Volunteers drank either cherry or apple juice during the five days leading up to a marathon, on the day of the race, and for two days afterwards. A marker for inflammation, C-reactive protein, was lower in athletes who drank cherry juice when compared to those who drank apple juice.

Gout. Eating cherries every day can reduce the risk of painful gout attacks, according to a study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Researchers studied more than 600 gout patients for a year and found that those who ate 10 to 12 cherries a day (about half a cup), or took cherry extract over a two-day period, reduced gout flare-ups by 35 percent. When cherries were combined with the gout drug allopurinol, attacks were reduced by 75 percent. Researchers believe that chemicals in cherries reduce the amount of uric acid that crystallizes in joints and causes gout.

Arthritis. Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University found that cherries contain more anti-inflammatory compounds (in the form of anthocyanins) than any other food. They studied women aged 40 to 70 who had inflammatory arthritis. When they drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks, markers for inflammation were significantly reduced, especially in women who had the highest levels of inflammation at the beginning of the study.

"With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said lead researcher Kerry Kuehl, M.D.

An additional study — this one from Baylor Research Institute, found that cherry extract reduced the pain of osteoarthritis by 20 percent.

The American cherry season is beginning and peaks in June, so be sure and pick up a bag the next time you go to the grocery.