7 Remarkable Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice (Sleep, Arthritis & More)

If I just close my eyes, I can still smell my grandmother’s tart cherry pie. My all time favorite when I was growing up.

But tart cherries are much more than just a pie ingredient.

Tart cherry juice is now being called the ultimate superfood juice, for a few very good reasons.

The Benefits include:

• Muscle pain relief
• Arthritis pain relief
• Heart health
• Improved sleep
• Degenerative diseases prevention (such as Alzheimer’s)
• Diabetes prevention

All with just 137 calories per 1-cup serving.

What’s Hiding In Tart Cherries?

Ever been to Traverse City, Michigan?

It’s considered the Cherry Capital of the world. But Utah, Washington, New York, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are other prominent tart cherry-producing states.

Montmorency tart cherries (prunus cerasus), also called sour cherries, are known for their distinctive sour-sweet flavor and unique nutrient profile.

All cherries provide substantial quantities of antioxidants and other nutrients.

But:

Tart cherries deliver a greater content of various anthocyanins than sweet cherries, as well as higher amounts of other phenolic compounds and other nutrients.

And:

Sour cherries don’t contain the sugar and calories found in sweet cherries.

Turns out, the tart taste indicates the amount of anthocyanins inside. These flavanoid compounds are responsible for the intense red color and health promoting benefits of tart cherries.

What are anthocyanins?

Anthocyanins are one of nature’s most potent classes of flavonoids. These powerhouse nutrients are responsible for the deep colors in some berries, fruits, and vegetables.

But tart cherries are superior because they provide high levels of some novel anthocyanins that are absent from a number of other anthocyanin-rich foods, such as blueberries or bilberries!

A 2001 cell study found that anthocyanins from cherries were as effective as ibuprofen and naproxen at suppressing the COX enzymes associated with inflammation.

Aside from a greater amount of anthocyanins, tart cherries also deliver a cast of supporting compounds.

Bioactive ingredients in Tart cherries inhibit certain enzymes while boosting others, switch-on cancer defenses, balance sugar levels and enhance primary antioxidants.

Tart cherries naturally include Melatonin, the “sleep hormone” and this is why it was found that it can treat insomnia and relieve sleep problems (More on that below).

The Proven Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice

Now, let’s take a look at the scientifically proven health benefits:

1. Tart Cherry Juice for Muscle Pain

Most athletes already know about the amazing anti-inflammatory benefits of tart cherry juice, and use it to prevent or relieve muscle soreness after strenuous exercise.

The effects of drinking this  juice were tested in a double-blind, randomized trial of runners participating in a 24-hour relay race.

The runners drank two 355 milliliters beverages containing either tart cherry juice or a placebo beverage daily for one week before to the race and during the race.

Both groups reported pain after the race. But the runners who drank it experienced  substantially less pain increase after the race.

The study suggested that tart cherries produce a significant muscle protecting benefit.

But you don’t have to be a marathon racer.

You can use it to relieve muscle soreness anywhere in your body, caused by anything – from lifting at work, at the gym, or just cooking for hours.

2. Tart Cherry Juice for Arthritis

The amazing compounds in tart cherries make them an inflammation-busting super hero.

This includes arthritis, gout, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer and Parkinson’s.

In a 2007 pilot study, researchers at Baylor Research Institute gave tart cherries in pill form to patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

After 8 weeks, more than half the subjects experienced a significant improvement in pain and function.

Those who drank the magic juice enjoyed a significant decrease in inflammation. It was even greater with women who had shown the highest inflammation levels at the beginning!

How about using this natural beverage instead of pain killers and dangerous conventional arthritis medication?

I just saw one guy who bought this Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate claiming that all he needs are 1 teaspoon 3 times a day to eliminate his pain when he gets a flare up.

Isn’t that amazing?

See more tart cherry drinkers sharing their experience HERE)

Find 11 more science-backed remedies for arthritis here.

3. Tart Cherry Juice for Sleep Problems

Here’s what researchers from Louisiana State University discovered in 2014:

The researchers had 7 older adults with insomnia drink 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks, followed by two weeks of no juice, and then two more weeks of drinking a placebo beverage.

Compared to the placebo, drinking the cherry juice resulted in an average of 84 more minutes of sleep time each night.

Another study found drinking the juice significantly increases internal melatonin levels:

Melatonin helps us fall asleep faster and stay asleep. It balances our circadian rhythms and makes our sleep more restful.

Instead of taking synthetic melatonin (extracted from the pineal glands of cows…) to help with sleep problems, you can now drink sour cherry juice and get it in a natural form.

See 2 more ways to fall asleep fast – especially if you’re in pain.

4. Tart Cherry Juice for Gout

Gout is another type of inflammatory arthritis, and it is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

High blood concentration of uric acid is considered its main pathway. Tart cherries seem to naturally and safely reduce uric acid levels.

A Boston University study found that cherry extract reduced the risk of gout attacks by 45%!

Also, the researchers discovered that when cherry intake was combined with allopurinol use, the risk for gout attacks was reduced by 75%.

5. Tart Cherry Juice for High Cholesterol

If you have high levels of LDL cholesterol, drinking this 8-ounce of this juice daily can lower your levels by 17%.

This was found in a recent study measuring the effect of these cherries on serum triglycerides.

6. Tart Cherries for Diabetes and Heart Disease

According to a study from the University of Michigan, tart cherries provide the same cardiovascular benefits as a class of drugs called PPAR agonists – which help to regulate fat and glucose.

These drugs are prescribed for people suffering from a metabolic syndrome linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

7. Tart Cherry Juice for Alzheimer and Parkinson’s

Tart cherries, even more than sweet cherries, can protect neurons from cell damaging oxidative stress.

The large amount of phenolics, including anthocyanins, was shown to be responsible for this neuron defense. The researchers described it as “strong anti-neurodegenerative activity”.

Michigan Tart Cherries can effectively reduce symptoms of degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheiner, Parkinson’s and Huntington disease.

How Much Tart Cherry Juice Should You Drink?

To get the health benefits of it – drink either 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice or 2 tablespoons of concentrate (you can dilute it in your water or a different natural juice).

I use this Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice concentrate, and I recommend to start out with 1/2 to 1 tsp a day.

For sleep problems – try this amount 1 hour before you go to bed to sleep like a rock. I do.

For arthritis/gout pain relief – try 1 tsp. when the pain starts and add another dose after 2 hours until you feel pain relief – Up to 3 tsp.

For muscle pain relief – right after a workout – to alleviate muscle soreness and inflammation.
Keep it simple and listen to your body. It will tell you if you’re not tasking enough or taking too much.

Is Tart Cherry Juice Safe?

According to WebMD:

The fruit of the sour cherry is safe for most adults when eaten as food or used as medicine. However, it is not known if sour cherry stems or dietary supplements containing the sour cherry stems are safe.

Also, pregnant and breastfeeding women can safely eat tart cherries when eaten in normal food amounts. But safety is unknown when it comes to juice and supplements. I would avoid it in this case.

Other than that, no side effects were documented from drinking sour cherry juice and there are no known interactions with medication.

Where to Buy the Best Tart Cherry Juice 

Lakewood Organic Pure Tart Cherry Juice

You can get enjoy the amazing benefits of tart cherry juice by either drinking it or taking supplements.

But, cherries are among the fruits that are heavily treated with pesticides so it’s important to buy organic.

Quality tart cherry juice is organic, with no added sugars, additives or high fructose corn syrup. Also, make sure you are buying Montmorency tart cherry juice and that it is not imported.

You can buy the juice itself or concentrate, which is also fine, as long as it’s pure.

Organic Juice in glass bottle (pack of 6) – Find it here

Organic juice concentrate (no additives) – Find it here

Or this one (32 day supply)

Organic extract powder – find it here

Conclusion

Even if you never cared for tart cherry pies, now’s the time to start loving tart cherries.

It seems that the day when your doctor says “Take 10 tart cherries and call me in the morning” may not be far off (if you have a good doctor…)

Ongoing research finds that tart cherry benefits include heart health, joint health, muscle health and even insomnia relief.

Aside from the powerful anthocyanins (inflammation busters), tart cherries are rich in two important flavonoids – isoqueritrin and queritrin.

Consuming all of these in your food is like unleashing an entire army of agents in to neutralize harmful oxidants in your body.

Make sure you buy an organic juice, without any additives, preferably in a glass bottle.

And now over to you:

Do you have any questions or comments? I’m standing by, as always 🙂

To your health and happiness,

Meital

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24566440

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075558

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22038497

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20459662

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20438325

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12706854

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942735/

http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201304/tart-cherries-linked-reduced-risk-stroke

Sleigh, AE, Kuehl KS, Elliot DL. Efficacy of tart cherry juice to reduce inflammation among patients with osteoarthritis. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting. May 30, 2012.