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Tart Cherry Juice, Fad or Cure?

May 4th, 2010
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Tart Cherry Juice may seem to be a new fad, or to some just an old folk remedy, but science could prove it to be a cure for common ailments like arthritis and possibly Fibromyalgia. The key seems to be in the pigment of the cherries, anthocyanins, which give the cherries their color. According to Dr. Muraleedharan Nair at Michigan State University, lab tests show that these pigments give 10 times the anti-inflammatory relief of aspirin, without irritating the stomach. Plus they are also powerful antioxidants1.

These powerful antioxidants have been shown to decrease oxidative stress in healthy older men and women2. A study published in the British Journal Of Sports Medicine has shown that drinking Tart Cherry Juice decreases strength loss and pain due to exercise3.

I thought that this was most likely just another fad diet, but I picked some up from the store to try it. I drank about 8 ounces an hour before bed and I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow those nights. When I ran out of juice, I had a much harder time falling asleep. Sure this could be related to many factors, but maybe it has something to do with melatonin. Cherries are apparently high in melatonin, which is a hormone that helps regulate your sleep 4.

Getting a good nights sleep is often a challenge for individuals suffering from Fibromyalgia and it is important to help restore our bodies. So anything I can do to help myself get a better nights rest can be beneficial. I picked up some more tart cherry juice at the store today. I just drank some and I am getting ready for bed. I’ve had a really hard time sleeping the past two nights, so we will see how the juice helps with my sleep tonight.

  1. Underwood, Anne . “A Prescriptive Palette.” Newsweek, Dec 6, 1999, 91-92. []
  2. Traustadóttir , T. “Tart cherry juice decreases oxidative stress in healthy older men and women.” The Journal Of Nutrition 139, no. 10 (2009): []
  3. Connolly , DA. “Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage.” British Journal Of Sports Medicine 40, no. 8 (2006): 679 []
  4. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview []

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