Key Takeaways
- Tart cherry juice has more melatonin than sweet cherries, which helps with sleep.
- Drinking tart cherry juice may improve sleep duration and quality, especially in older adults with insomnia.
- Tart cherries are rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
Tart cherry juice is making a big splash on social media as a natural, better-for-you nightcap.
As the name suggests, it’s the juice obtained from tart cherries, also known as dwarf cherries. Tart cherries are smaller, brighter, and, you guessed it, more sour than sweet cherries. They also have more melatonin than sweet cherries, which is why tart cherry juice has become so popular as a sleep aid.
Curious to see if the hype holds up, I decided to try it myself for a week. Ahead, find out how it went.
Benefits of Tart Cherries
Before I get into all the “juicy” details of my experiment, let’s look at some of the key benefits of tart cherries, shall we?
It May Improve Mood And Cognitive Performance
Tart cherries are rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins and flavonols, which help counter oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. This, in turn, may support a stable mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, says Dr. Meghan Marcum, board-certified clinical psychologist.
Not only that, studies show supplementing your diet with tart cherry juice may also help improve memory, attention, and alertness, and reduce mental fatigue.
It May Help You Sleep Better
Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin. They also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce melatonin and serotonin, which help regulate sleep, says Dr. William Lu, sleep medicine physician and medical director at Dreem Health.
A pilot study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics suggests that drinking roughly 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day may help improve sleep duration and quality in older adults with insomnia.
It May Speed Up Muscle Recovery
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol compounds in tart cherries have been shown to help reduce inflammation and speed up post-workout recovery.
A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that drinking 12-ounce servings of tart cherry juice twice daily for seven days before and during strenuous exercise, like long-distance running, may help reduce muscle damage and pain.
It’s important to note that research on the benefits of tart cherry juice is still emerging. As with any dietary change, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider before trying tart cherry juice, especially if you’re taking medication or have any underlying conditions.
My Experience Drinking Tart Cherry Juice Every Night
I used an unsweetened version for this experiment that I bought from a local gourmet and health food store. And let me tell you, it is not as pocket-friendly in India. Anyhoo, here’s how it went:
Day 1
Since this was new for me, I started with a relatively small dose on the first day. I drank half a cup (around 4 ounces) two hours before bedtime. I didn’t notice any effects on my sleep that day. What I did notice, though, was how overstimulated my taste buds felt after sipping it. It’s definitely an acquired taste, guys.
Day 2
I upped the dosage to a full cup, which is roughly 8 ounces. Like the first day, I drank it two hours before bedtime. I did feel relaxed, but it was hard to tell if it was correlated to drinking cherry juice since I was already feeling pretty calm.
Day 3
Things got tricky on the third day. As before, I drank one full cup two hours before going to bed. I had a lot on my mind that day, which naturally made it hard to relax. I was curious to see if the ruby-red shot would help me sleep when my mind was stuck in a worry spiral.
Unfortunately, it didn’t do much. In the end, I turned to my go-to guided meditation, and that finally got me to unwind and catch some z’s.
Days 4 – 7
The results weren’t immediate or dramatic, but I did notice I had pretty consistent sleep throughout the rest of the week with minimal interruptions. Still not a fan of how it tastes, though. On the final day of the experiment, I added a splash of coconut water to dilute it a bit. Happy to report that it helped.
Thankfully, I didn’t notice any negative effects throughout the week. Although tart cherry juice is no silver bullet for sleep, it may have a mild relaxing effect that supports better rest.
That said, there is no actual need to drink it neat if you don’t want to. Especially given how intense it tastes. As dietitian and president of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board, Amy Cohn explains, you can get many of the same benefits by adding dried tart cherries to evening snacks or incorporating purée into dinner recipes.
Should You Drink Tart Cherry Juice for Sleep?
While the amount of melatonin in tart cherries is modest and unlikely to cause a dramatic shift in sleep patterns for everyone, studies have shown that drinking tart cherry juice may increase sleep time and efficiency for some, especially those with sleep disturbances, says Dr. Lu.
If you’re interested in giving it a shot (pun unintended) yourself, here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind before getting started:
Do:
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Choose pure, unsweetened tart cherry juice
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Take it 1-2 hours before bedtime
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Start with a small dose to see how your body reacts
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Be consistent
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Combine it with good sleep hygiene for best results
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Check with your healthcare provider first
Don’t:
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Drink it right before bed
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Drink more than what your doctor recommends
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Consider it a substitute for medical treatment if you have a sleep disorder
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Ignore body cues
Recommended Serving
Catherine Gervacio, registered dietitian and certified exercise nutrition coach, suggests an 8-ounce serving (about one cup) a day. You can also split it into two 4-ounce servings, morning and evening, she says.
Precautions
While generally safe, tart cherry juice can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, or allergic reactions in some cases, says Dr. Lu.
He adds that people with known allergies, diabetes, kidney disease, and individuals on certain medications (such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers) should avoid it.
Alternatives to Tart Cherry Juice
For those who can’t or don’t want to jump on the trend, Gervacio suggests trying alternative sleep-promoting foods, like:
- Banana with almond butter
- Warm milk
- Walnuts
- Kiwi
- Chamomile tea
Final Thoughts
So, will tart cherry juice become a staple in my life? Uhh…sorry, but no. The stuff is pretty pricey where I live. And since I didn’t notice any significant improvements in my sleep, it’s hard to justify the cost.
That said, your experience may be totally different. And who knows, you might even enjoy the taste. Just make sure to check with your healthcare practitioner first to see if taking tart cherry juice is right for you.
