Tart cherries—in particular, tart cherry juice—have gotten a lot of attention over the past 10 years or so, mostly because of their powerful plant-based phytonutrients. Also called sour or Montmorency cherries, these tangy yet somewhat sweet-tart cherries are grown primarily in Michigan, New York, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, and are available dried and in concentrates as well.
What exactly are tart cherry juice benefits, and are they worth the calories? Sharon Palmer, RDN, a Southern California expert on plant-based nutrition and sustainability, spells it out for our readers.
Nutrients in Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherries are rich in polyphenols, especially proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and flavonoids, all of which convey strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Many studies have found there are possible benefits to drinking tart cherry juice, but it’s important to put those findings in perspective—the studies were relatively small, and some were even contradictory, so questions remain about tart cherry juice benefits.
Even among studies that investigated the same tart cherry juice benefit, it’s not easy to compare results because the amount of juice varied from one study to another or different forms of the fruit were used. Example: In a review of 15 studies that looked at tart cherries’ effects on athletic performance, eight used concentrated juice…three used juice from frozen cherries…two used a tart cherry concentrate gel…and two used a tart cherry powder. That’s part of why there’s no definitive optimal dose for getting the benefits of tart cherry juice. All that said, here are some of the reasons people choose to include tart cherry juice in their diet…
Reduced inflammation
Thanks to the effects of its active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, tart cherry juice helps combat inflammation, which is thought to be at the root of many chronic diseases. A review done in 2022 by Iranian scientists looked at results of 10 randomized controlled trials and found that drinking tart cherry juice lowered levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. The amount of juice varied from 130 milliliters (mL) to 490 mL (one cup is 240 mL) that was split into two separate servings per day. A separate review of tart cherry juice and inflammation performed at University of Delaware and published in 2021 also found evidence of a link between tart cherry juice intake and reduced risk for inflammatory diseases, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritis.
Lower glucose levels
The Iranian review mentioned above found that, perhaps counterintuitively, one cup a day of tart cherry juice led to a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar levels, though it had no effect on blood fats (cholesterol or triglycerides), body weight or blood pressure. The authors speculate that in the long term, active compounds in tart cherry juice might improve insulin resistance.
Better sleep
Does tart cherry juice help you sleep? In a study published in 2018, Louisiana State University researchers followed eight participants, age 50 and older, who had chronic insomnia. Those who drank one cup of tart cherry juice in the morning and another cup one to two hours before bed daily for two weeks saw their sleep time increase by 84 minutes during their final sleep study versus their first. Tart cherry juice contains the protein tryptophan, which helps increase the body’s levels of the sleep hormone melatonin.
Better cognition
Because anthocyanins and other polyphenols can cross the blood-brain barrier, researchers from Northumbria University in the UK wanted to see if tart cherries could affect cognition. They conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study involving 50 adults with a mean age of 48. Participants were randomly assigned to either a group that took 30 mL of a Montmorency cherry concentrate twice daily or another group that received placebos. After three months, compared to the placebo group, the Montmorency group participants had higher sustained attention and psychomotor speed during times of high cognitive demand, higher alertness and lower mental fatigue. Researchers believe this could be related to the changes in the metabolism of amino acids brought about by the cherries.
Exercise recovery
Athletes have long embraced tart cherry juice or supplements for better performance and faster recovery after exertion. In a report on the topic, Malachy P. McHugh, PhD, director of research at Lenox Hill Hospital’s Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, pointed out that tart cherry juice should be considered a “precovery” intervention—in other words, muscle function may recover faster on the days after exercise if juice is provided for several days prior rather than during or after the exercise.
Bone health
Oklahoma State University researchers published a study in 2021 that looked at Montmorency tart cherry juice’s ability to decrease bone resorption. (If resorption outpaces bone formation, bone mass and density can decrease and risk for fractures increases.) Following up on lab-based research showing that tart cherry juice protects against age-related and inflammation-induced bone loss, researchers assigned healthy female participants between ages 65 and 80 years to one of two groups—people in one group drank a cup of tart cherry juice once a day and people in the other group had it twice a day, both for 90 days. When bone-density DEXA scans and blood biomarkers of bone formation and resorption, vitamin D, inflammation and oxidative stress were assessed, the bone-resorption marker was significantly reduced only among those drinking two cups a day.
Tart Cherry Juice Warnings
Because of some of its powerful phytonutrients, there are some cautions for people with specific health conditions and medications. In all the following instances, talk to your doctor before taking a sip.
People taking blood thinners
Tart cherry juice contains coumarins, which may have blood-thinning effects. This could increase bleeding risk if you’re already on a blood thinner.
People with diabetes
Just as with any juice, tart cherry juice with added or natural sugars can raise blood sugar levels in the short term. If you have diabetes and are on insulin management, juices are not your friend. Eating the whole fruit is better—the fiber content delays the glucose response.
People with kidney disease
Tart cherry juice is high in potassium. Most people who have kidney disease are on a low potassium diet, so tart cherry juice probably is not for you.
Tart Cherry Juice Tips
Watch portion sizes. In some studies, participants were drinking 16 ounces of tart cherry juice a day. To avoid loading up on sugar, always drink 100% fruit juice, with no added sugars, such as Santa Cruz brand, and remember to count those calories (70 kcal per half-cup serving) toward your daily total.
Consider having the whole fruit. Juices are very concentrated sources of energy without any fiber. Dried Montmorency cherries are concentrated, too, but have that fiber plus most whole-plant compounds (some are lost when cherries are juiced). You can also find frozen and canned tart cherries…again always buy brands without added sugar—you can turn them into smoothies for eating on the run.
Compare costs. Tart cherry juice can be very expensive—the price of a 32-ounce bottle ranges from about $5 at supermarkets to more than $30 at some vitamin and supplement stores.
