Of all the fresh seasonal fruits, cherries have a reputation for being a harbinger of warmth – the bright red bulbs they are cooler in midsummer. But when I started seeing pure cherry juice appearing on grocery store shelves and at local farmers markets throughout the year, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. That’s because tart cherry juice is all the rage in the health space lately for its myriad of potential nutritional benefits.
Before I started sipping, I turned to research to see for myself what kind of benefits this deliciously tart beverage can provide. I was surprised to find studies documenting how elite athletes used tart cherry juice to decrease pain after intense workouts and speed up your recovery. But that’s not all related health benefits of tart cherry juice.
What is tart cherry juice and how much should I consume?
If you’re going to try drinking cherry juice for its health benefits, you’ll want to make sure it’s pure tart cherry juice, made with Montmorency cherries. These cherries, sometimes called “sour” cherries, have a deep red color and sweet-tart flavor profile on their own. This type of cherry has been studied more than any other for its unique nutritional profile. You’ll find them mostly grown in Michigan, but also elsewhere in the United States. Look for pure (undiluted) cherry juice and brands that skip any added sugar.
Jordan Mazur, MS, RDprofessional sports dietitian and director of nutrition for san francisco 49ersit says Good Housekeeping that 16 oz of tart cherry juice is key to getting “phytonutrients for reported benefits for inflammation and recovery.”
He continues: “Some studies go further and say consuming an 8 oz. serving in the morning and one after your training it’s more effective.”
Most of the benefits are seen after 7-10 days of consistent consumption, but the key to reap these benefits is to be consistent and drink enough juice as often as possible. 2010 study at Scandinavian Journal of Sports Medicine showed that marathon athletes who consumed tart cherry juice five days before and 48 hours after the event had a pain reduction and inflammation, as well as faster recovery than the placebo group. This study indicates that the benefits of tart cherry juice can be better enjoyed in specific high-intensity events rather than daily workouts, but more information is needed.
Be sure to pay attention to how any brand processes the juice; It is important to maintain its nutritional value for optimal results. Be careful when looking at powders or concentrates; they can often be less potent depending on how they are processed. Mazur recommends juices because they’re easy to find and convenient to drink (as opposed to mixing powders or concentrates with a certain amount of water).
What are the health benefits of tart cherry juice?
This deliciously tart beverage has several potential health benefits, and many researchers are conducting studies to uncover even more benefits in the field heart health and even cancer. Here are seven different uses that might convince you to start a tart cherry juice regiment.
1) Packs a Nutritious Punch
First and foremost, Tart cherries are packed with a ton of vitamins and nutrients in just one serving of juice. “[It] contains an important amount of vitamin A and C as well as some manganese, potassium, copper, zinc, and some vitamin K,” says Mazur. A serving also includes 56mg of flavonoids, including anthocyanins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants help slow cell damage and reduce inflammation. Too much inflammation in the body can lead to diseases like cancer and heart disease.
2) Treat sore muscles
Fitness buffs, and athletes in particular, began paying more attention to cherry juice when researchers began examining its effects on recovery.
People began to notice cherry juice when it came to reducing muscle pain. Numerous studies, including this 2010 article from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition, look at cherry juice to reduce pain after running long distances. The results suggested that, compared to the placebo group, there was a reduction in pain after drinking tart cherry juice for seven days.
“In general, taking tart cherry juice in the days before and immediately after intense physical exercise can reduce muscle strength loss and soreness. It can also speed recovery,” says Mazur. ” There are a lot of studies who have looked at markers of muscle damage and how tart cherry juice can improve certain biomarkers of muscle damage after exercise.”
He also notes that while reduced muscle soreness and inflammation has been linked to juicing, people’s antioxidant capacity is improved, reducing oxidative damage after training.
3) Increases exercise endurance
Tart cherry juice can help with strength and soreness, and can also help optimize overall endurance in athletes over time. According to a 2020 meta-analysis, looking at ten studies at Journal of the American College of Nutritiontart cherry concentrate may improve endurance exercise performance due to its low glycemic index, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity, and effects that improve blood flow. This validates Mazur’s position that inflammation can be neutralized with tart cherry juice, allowing for less pain and faster recovery.
4) Improve sleep
Spinning all night? Tart cherry juice is being studied as a viable solution to improve your sleep hygiene over time. Tart cherries are one of the foods rich in melatonin, a hormone that occurs naturally in our body and helps regulate our internal circadian clockswhich found in some foods. Many people take OTC Melatonin pills to help sleep.
in a randomized controlled study published in the European Nutrition Journal in 2011, data suggested that consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate “provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women and may be beneficial in managing sleep disorders.” of the dream”.
“This appears to help increase tryptophan levels in the body by helping to support melatonin production,” adds Mazur. Tryptophan might help you sleep longer, especially when ingested consistently. With sleeping problems on the rise, tart cherry juice may be a good option. great natural alternative for sleep supplements.
5) Fight Inflammation
It’s advice you’ve probably heard a million times, but chronic inflammation can exacerbate countless chronic conditions, and anything that can protect us against it is a good thing. This is why there are so many diets focused on anti-inflammatory foods.
“Anthocyanins, which are compounds found naturally in fruit, have anti-inflammatory properties that may be beneficial for people with chronic pain or inflammatory conditions,” explains Mazur.
Anti-inflammatory compounds like anthocyanins can protect our cells from damage, which can otherwise lead to problems like heart disease and poor cardiovascular health.
6) Targets Gout and Other Forms of Arthritis
There is also some research showing that tart cherry juice could help with gout, a painful form of arthritis that often affects the big toe. This The 2019 study showed promise in reducing flare-ups and more current studies are ongoing. The idea is that tart cherries have an impact on lowering uric acid levels.
“Some preliminary studies show that tart cherry juice helps slightly reduce pain and stiffness in people with arthritis after consistent consumption,” says Mazur. Most of the studies have been done around osteoarthritis, where the cartilage lining the joints thins, and more research is needed to confirm how beneficial exposure may be.
7) Lowers High Blood Pressure
TO small studio A study conducted by Northumbria University in New Castle on hypertensive men saw promising results with lowering high blood pressure, a change effected by drinking Montmorency cherry juice concentrate that was equivalent to taking medication. Another study from the journal Food and Function who recruited both men and women into his methods, showed a reduction in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Although these studies were not as large as some of the others, they did show promising enough results to point to the need for continued study.
What are the side effects of drinking tart cherry juice?
Tart cherry juice is relatively safe for most, but it does contain a large amount of the natural sugar alcohol sorbitol which is also found in prunes and berries; this can also cause bloating and frequent gasand diarrhea in some cases, if too much is consumed. People with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis (or other stomach conditions!) should be aware if this is causing GI problems. While Mazur says that a 16-ounce glass of tart cherry juice a day should be safe for most people, discussing an appropriate portion size with your health care provider is crucial if you have any pre-existing gastrointestinal conditions.
Those living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should also check with their doctor before consuming tart cherry juice, as the fruit’s byproduct is high in sugar, although considered low-glycemic by most experts .
“Tart cherries provide a compound called quercetin that could interfere with some medications like blood thinners,” says Mazur, so it’s crucial to consult your doctor if you’re taking any medications to make sure cherry juice is safe for you.
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