How much tart cherry juice should i drink for sleep

The experience is somewhat reminiscent of drinking an unfiltered red wine, where there's a bold richness and some slight sediment at the bottom. But in this case, you drink it chilled and the sweetness provides balance. Some even say it tastes like cherry pie. Because of the tartness, you'll sometimes find extra sugar added to tart cherry juice, so keep an eye on labels.

Does tart cherry juice help you sleep? That's the question professional athletes were asking McHugh shortly after they started drinking it. That observation led to multiple studies showing a positive connection between regular use of tart cherry juice and longer, better rest with less insomnia. Tart cherries are one of the few food sources that contain a significant amount of melatonin and "the presumption was that the high levels of melatonin in tart cherries were a sleep aid," McHugh says.

While studies did show that tart cherries increased melatonin levels in humans, McHugh points out that tart cherries also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which could be another reason the crimson juice can help you catch some Zs. So how much do you need to drink to get tart cherry juice sleep benefits?

In one study participants drank the juice once in the morning and again two hours before bed for two weeks. In another study , participants drank the juice twice each day for one week. And what about the natural sugar content in tart cherry juice? Might it be counterproductive to good sleep? Meyer and McHugh say no.

People who suffer from joint pain, osteoarthritis, or gout may find particular benefits from tart cherries. In fact, the use of tart cherry juice for gout and arthritis relief is a word-of-mouth remedy that dates back nearly a century, as many pain sufferers have cited feeling less acute pain after eating canned tart cherries or drinking tart cherry juice.

This possible connection was first formally studied in when, after eating a can of tart or yellow cherries a day, 12 arthritis and gout sufferers displayed lower blood levels of uric acid. Other research has indicated similar reductions in markers of joint pain after participants drank the equivalent of 8 to Doctors often use a blood test measuring C-reactive protein or CRP to foretell the development of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases in patients.

And an increase in CRP often comes along with a diagnosis of hypertension. His patients who try tart cherry report that it helps ease the pain. Seven days later, the pain disappeared," Dr. Drucker says. In a study designed to test the effect of tart cherry juice on overweight patients with inflammation and at high risk for gout, the research found that drinking the juice significantly reduces serum uric acid by 19 percent.

Both Dr. Drucker and Beth Miller recommend drinking tart cherry juice for better quality sleep. Miller shared a success story from a patient who took tart cherry juice to improve sleep apnea. Within a week of starting on the tart cherry juice, he was having more restful sleep.

In a placebo-controlled study , patients with insomnia were placed in a randomized trial where one group was given 8 ounces of tart cherry juice twice every day for two weeks and the other group got a placebo.

Researchers found that the "cherry juice increased sleep time and sleep efficiency" by 84 minutes on average. They also mentioned that the cherry juice reduced inflammation and may be partially responsible for the improvement in insomnia. Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of tart cherry juice a day is a tasty alternative. Plus, tart cherry juice offers other benefits besides quality sleep, including better muscle recovery for marathoners , long-distance runners , and weightlifters , as well as reduced joint pain and inflammation for those living with osteoarthritis.

The cherries with high concentrations of melatonin are the tart or sour varieties, notably Montmorency, Richmond, and English morello cherries. You can find tart cherry juice in most health food stores or the organic sections of local supermarkets. You can also order it online. March 30, Written by Keith Cushner. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but tart cherry juice may keep insomnia at bay. Now, back to tart cherry juice. The multiple studies are in.

High levels of melatonin A study found that tart Montmorency cherries contained high amounts of natural melatonin — 6 times more than sweet Balaton cherries, in fact. Improved sleep onset and sleep efficiency A study of older adults with insomnia found that tart cherry juice had similar or better effects on sleep onset than valerian or melatonin supplements.

Longer sleep times Most recently, researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice could extend sleep by 84 minutes each night!