Remedy · fruit
Tart cherry juice: what the evidence says about sleep and recovery
Tart cherries contain melatonin and plant pigments, and small trials show modest effects on sleep. The better evidence is for recovery after hard exercise.
By the editors of Alimentotherapy Last reviewed 3 min read Not medical advice
Tart cherry
Prunus cerasus (Montmorency)
Best-supported use: Recovery after strenuous exercise
The short answer
The best evidence for tart cherry is for recovery after strenuous exercise: a meta-analysis of 14 studies found small to moderate benefits for muscle soreness and strength recovery Hill 2021. For sleep, two small placebo-controlled trials found modest improvements, well short of what proven insomnia treatments achieveHowatson 2012; Pigeon 2010.
The evidence, use by use
Each claim graded on human studies only. How we grade
| Use | Grade | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle soreness and recovery after strenuous exercise | Moderate | Pooling 14 studies, tart cherry supplements had a small effect on muscle soreness, a moderate effect on recovery of strength and power, and small falls in the inflammation markers CRP and IL-6. Hill 2021 |
| Sleep duration and quality in healthy adults | Limited | In a 20-person placebo-controlled crossover trial, a week of tart cherry juice concentrate raised urinary melatonin and increased time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency. Howatson 2012 |
| Insomnia in older adults | Limited | In a pilot crossover trial of 15 older adults, a tart cherry juice blend reduced time awake after falling asleep compared with placebo, but not time to fall asleep or total sleep. The authors noted effects were far smaller than those of proven insomnia treatments. Pigeon 2010 |
| Gout flares | Limited | In an observational study of 633 people with gout, eating cherries in the previous two days was linked with fewer flares. No randomized trial has tested this, and cherries do not replace gout medicine. Zhang 2012 |
How people use it, and the amounts studied
Most research used Montmorency tart cherries as juice concentrate or as capsules of dried cherry powder, not the sweet cherries sold fresh in summer. The sleep trials gave juice concentrate for a week in healthy adultsHowatson 2012 and a juice blend for two weeks in older adults with insomniaPigeon 2010. The exercise studies pooled in the meta-analysis used a range of juices and capsules around strenuous exercise Hill 2021.
In the kitchen
Tart cherry juice is sour and usually sweetened, and even unsweetened juice is a concentrated source of fruit sugar. Read the label, count it as part of your day's sugar, and consider diluting concentrate with water.
The melatonin question
Tart cherries contain melatonin, the hormone that signals night to the body. In the Howatson trial, people who drank the concentrate had more melatonin in their urine than when they drank placebo, though the timing of their melatonin rhythm did not change Howatson 2012. That is a plausible reason for a small effect on sleep, not proof of a large one.
Persistent insomnia has well-tested treatments, especially cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The authors of the older-adult pilot said as much: the juice's effects were considerably smaller than those of evidence-based insomnia treatments Pigeon 2010. See the sleep guide for the rest of the food evidence.
Cherries and gout
Cherries are a well-known folk remedy for gout. The best study is observational: among 633 people with gout, cherry intake over the previous two days was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of a flare, and the lowest risk was in people who also took allopurinol Zhang 2012. Observational studies cannot show cause and effect, so this is a reason for a trial, not a reason to change medicine. If you have gout, talk to your clinician before relying on cherries.
Before you try it: safety and interactions
Who should avoid it or ask first
- You manage diabetes or blood sugar: the juice is concentrated fruit sugar, so count it and check with your clinician.
- You have gout: do not use cherries in place of prescribed medicine.
Possible side effects
- Stomach upset or loose stools at large amounts of juice.
- Extra sugar and calories from sweetened juice and concentrate.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Cherries and cherry juice are ordinary foods. Concentrated supplements have not been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding, so ask your midwife or doctor first. Zhang 2012; Howatson 2012
Medicine interactions
We found no well-documented medicine interactions for tart cherry at food amounts. That is not proof there are none: tell your pharmacist about any herb or supplement you take.
Check another food or medicine in the interactions list.
Common questions
Does tart cherry juice help you sleep?
Possibly a little. Two small placebo-controlled trials, of 20 healthy adults and 15 older adults with insomnia, found modest improvements in sleep with tart cherry juice. The effects were much smaller than those of proven insomnia treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
Does tart cherry help with muscle soreness?
A 2021 meta-analysis of 14 studies found tart cherry supplements had a small effect on muscle soreness and a moderate effect on recovery of strength after strenuous exercise. The studies used juice concentrate or capsules, and products varied between them.
Can cherries help gout?
An observational study of 633 people with gout linked eating cherries with fewer flares over the following two days. No randomized trial has confirmed it, so cherries should not replace gout medicine; talk to your clinician.
Sources
Primary research and government sources, each checked on the date this page was reviewed.
- PubMedHill JA, Keane KM, Quinlan R, Howatson G. Tart cherry supplementation and recovery from strenuous exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021. PMID 33440334.
- PubMedHowatson G, et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012. PMID 22038497.
- PubMedPigeon WR, et al. Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2010. PMID 20438325.
- PubMedZhang Y, et al. Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks. Arthritis Rheum. 2012. PMID 23023818.
Keep reading
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- GoalFood and inflammation: what CRP is and what diets actually changeWhole dietary patterns, not single foods, have shown measurable drops in inflammation markers. Most 'anti-inflammatory food' lists rest on lab studies.
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