Two major types of cherries exist among the hundreds of varieties, sweet and tart. While remaining relatively low in calories, cherries contains an abundance of vital nutrients, boosting a myriad of health benefits. Reported health benefits include: antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, decreasing recovery time after exercise, promising potential as a treatment for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), alleviating symptoms of arthritis and gout, improving cognitive functions and memory, while ameliorating stress, anxiety, and improvements in mood. Although there are a plethora of purported health benefits, this article will focus on the benefits cherries have on sleep (Kelley, Adkins, & Laugero, 2018).
The detrimental effects of lack of sleep, excessive sleepiness throughout the day, frequent awakenings at night, and insomnia has plagued many individuals for centuries. Issues with sleep disturbances and inadequate amounts of sleep increase the of risk for chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and CVD (Losso et al., 2018; Pigeon, Carr, Gorman, & Perlis, 2010). Both sweet and tart cherries contain high concentrations of melatonin. Melatonin is a chemical linked in regulating the circadian rhythm, the body’s biological clock. Additionally, has been correlated with sleep-promoting properties and has been used to treat sleep disorders (Howatson, Bell, Tallent, Middleton, Mchugh, & Ellis, 2011; Kelley, Adkins, & Laugero, 2018).
A study that examined the effects of supplementing tart cherry juice concentrate, (30 ml, twice a day for 7 days) found significant improvements in total sleep time (34 mins), time in bed (25 mins), and overall sleep efficiency (5-6%). Additionally, the study measured Urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), a waste product of melatonin, was increased in these subjects. Correlating the effects of the dietary melatonin found naturally in cherries to improved sleep (Howatson, Bell, Tallent, Middleton, Mchugh, & Ellis, 2011).
Similar results were echoed in another study. Significant increases in aMT6s levels, improved actual sleep time, total nocturnal activity, sleep efficiency, and decreased number of awakenings in the participants of the study. The study suggests that the mood enhancing benefits and stress reducing effects of serotonin (often called the body’s happy chemical), in addition to melatonin, contributes to the enhanced sleep; as stress is alleviated and mood improves (Garrido et al., 2010).
Two studies examining the effects of tart cherry juice on insomnia found similar results, improving scores on both sleep quality and the Insomnia Severity Index scale (Pigeon, Carr, Gorman, & Perlis, 2010; Losso, et al., 2018). What’s interesting from this study is, the effective dose of the cherry juice was derived from 100g of cherries. Which contained 0.135 μg of melatonin, the dose of melatonin recommended for sleep is between 0.5-5 mg. It seems that the effect cherry juice has on improving sleep isn’t just from its melatonin content.
These studies present encouraging outcomes for fostering adequate sleep and treating poor sleep. To fully understand and determine the best use of cherry juice for sleep benefits, more research is required. For additional advice on how to improve your sleep each night, speak with your Allied Wellness health coach.
References
Garrido, M., Paredes, S. D., Cubero, J., Lozano, M., Toribio-Delgado, A. F., Munoz, J. L., . . . Rodriguez, A. B. (2010). Jerte Valley Cherry-Enriched Diets Improve Nocturnal Rest and Increase 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin and Total Antioxidant Capacity in the Urine of Middle-Aged and Elderly Humans. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 65A(9), 909-914. doi:10.1093/gerona/glq099
Howatson, G., Bell, P. G., Tallent, J., Middleton, B., Mchugh, M. P., & Ellis, J. (2011). Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. European Journal of Nutrition, 51(8), 909-916. doi:10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7
Kelley, D., Adkins, Y., & Laugero, K. (2018). A Review of the Health Benefits of Cherries. Nutrients, 10(3), 368. doi:10.3390/nu10030368
Losso, J. N., Finley, J. W., Karki, N., Liu, A. G., Prudente, A., Tipton, R., . . . Greenway, F. L. (2018). Pilot Study of the Tart Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Insomnia and Investigation of Mechanisms. American Journal of Therapeutics, 25(2). doi:10.1097/mjt.0000000000000584
Pigeon, W. R., Carr, M., Gorman, C., & Perlis, M. L. (2010). Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study. Journal of Medicinal Food, 13(3), 579-583. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.009
