The black cherry can be found growing on the American continent and is a part of the family of prunes rather than cherries. The black cherry is not really known for its health benefits and is treated more as a delicacy for its sweet and bitter taste. The chemical make up of the berry does indicate that it has astringent properties but for the rest of the part, it is actually feared to be slightly toxic if not consumed properly.
Astringents are a group of chemicals that have the ability to shrink body tissue when it comes into contact with it. Common items that have astringent properties include alum, zinc oxide and silver nitrate. It is unpalatable to humans and has to be diluted before it is used. A common example is wine, which has certain astringents in it. In comparison to black cherry, a more effective and safe alternative is witch hazel as a topical application. However, if for some reason an astringent has to be swallowed black cherry would be a better choice. Astringents are used in medicine for a wide variety of treatments. One of the most famous uses is as topical application for acne sufferers having to deal with too much sebaceous gland activity. Sebaceous glands secrete a substance called sebum that has a very oily texture and when one has acne, tends to be produced in excess. It is therefore a good idea to use astringent as temporary relief from this problem. Astringents have the ability to close off the pores to the sebaceous glands. Using the same logic, an astringent could probably be used for other remedial purposes like reducing sweat production. It is not certain how prudent or effective this measure would be since sweating is a natural body response that ideally should not be stopped. Other possible uses of astringent involve pain relief from ingrown nails by reducing the size of the surrounding skin and treatment for sore throats where there is excessive mucus production. This is where the use of black cherry eaten or as a juice could be of use.
Black cherry is not a completely safe option because it does contain a small amount of cyanide. It is in fact dangerous for fallen branches of the black cherry tree to be left lying around where livestock can get access to it as consuming the leaves could be fatal to the animal. When eating a black cherry always remember to discard the seed and to never bite it.
answered by G M