What Are The Health Benefits Of Fresh Cherry Juice?

Tart cherries are rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins that may help relieve pain, recover from workouts and even sleep better. That means the juice from these cherries may be helpful for weekend warriors, trained athletes and people who suffer insomnia. Always consult a doctor before using a supplement like cherry juice to treat a health condition.

History

Studies that show the benefits of tart cherry juice are preliminary, and of 2010 more scientific investigation was needed to confirm early results, according to the Los Angeles Times. The studies do, however, pave the way for further research into the benefits of cherry juice, says Elena Conis in the article, "Tart cherry juice: A lip-puckering pain remedy?"

Properties

Tart cherries have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, says K.S. Kuehl, lead author for a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Tart cherry juice also naturally contains melatonin. Melatonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your biorhythms and induce sleep, says Dr. Andrew Weil, medical director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.

Effects

If you are an endurance athlete, cherry juice can help you recover from big events, K.S. Kuehl says, because it produces a protective effect against muscle damage and pain caused by strenuous exercise. That means cherry juice may be a natural alternative to the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, that many endurance athletes use during competitions to reduce or prevent pain. NSAIDS pose a risk of adverse effects, Kuehl says. Endurance events cause muscle damage that result in inflammation. Kuehl found that athletes who drank the cherry juice for a week prior to big events had less post-event pain than athletes who were given a placebo.

Potential

Drinking tart cherry juice may help you sleep better if you suffer from insomnia, Weil says. However, you need to drink the juice twice daily instead of at bedtime to produce this effect. A randomized, double-blind study found that the cherry juice worked as well as or better than valerian root, says W.R. Pigeon, lead author for the study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. It also worked in some cases as well as melatonin supplements, says Pigeon. Valerian and melatonin are the two most studied natural remedies for insomnia. Cherry juice did not work as well as hypnotic agents or cognitive-behavioral therapies, however.

Theories/Speculation

Cherry juice may help you if you suffer from gout, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. You suffer gout, a type of arthritis, when too much uric acid builds up in your body. This causes crystals to form in your joints, which become inflamed. You can eat a half pound of cherries daily to lower the uric acid levels in your body and prevent attacks, but juicing the fruit and drinking 8 to 16 oz a day for two weeks also may work, say the experts at UMMC. Cherries also are an antioxidant-rich food. UMMC also recommends antioxidant-rich foods if you are a gout sufferer looking to minimize symptoms.