Is tart cherry juice the newest super-food? Tart cherries have higher levels of anthocyanins -- a phytonutrient and antioxidant -- than sweet cherries and other fruits, making them power berries to reduce inflammation, pain, improve recovery time after strenuous activity and possibly even aid in sleep. So far the research on these little fruits is very promising, but sample sizes have been small in studies, so more research is needed.
Minimizing Pain When Running
While many people find running a great form of exercise and a wonderful stress reliever, when it starts to hurt, many people become discouraged and even stop. Long-distance running especially can cause muscle damage due to excess pressure, inducing inflammation. Normally, runners reach for over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for temporary relief, but with long-term use, these can have adverse side effects. Could tart cherries -- with their high antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties -- have a protective effect and ease muscle pain? Researchers found that participants who drank 12 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily for seven days prior to the event and on the day of the race reported significantly less pain compared with the placebo group. The runners liked the drink and said they would be willing to use the drink in the future. While pain after a strenuous activity such as a long-distance running event is difficult to avoid entirely, even modest reductions in pain are greatly appreciated.
Muscle Damage and Recovery Time
Research has shown that drinking tart cherry juice can help prevent muscle damage and reduce recovery time. Researchers explored whether drinking 12 oz. of cherry juice would decrease some of the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. They noticed that strength loss was 22 percent with the placebo, but only 4 percent with the cherry juice. This significant improvement suggests it might help reduce muscle damage. Another study found that drinking tart cherry juice after strenuous exercise aided recovery by increasing antioxidative capacity and reducing inflammation. Isometric strength recovered significantly faster in the cherry-juice drinking group than for the placebo group.
Sleep Aid
Researchers noticed that one of the other side effects of drinking tart cherry juice was an increase in the quality of participants' sleep. They decided to investigate this further and found that drinking tart cherry juice results in significant reductions in insomnia severity, especially for the elderly. The treatment period was very brief -- only two weeks -- and dosing strategies are still being determined, warranting further study of these sleep-enhancing effects.
What Type to Buy
If you would like to add tart cherry juice to your diet, most studies found benefits from drinking 12 oz. per day. Several brands are on the market, so make sure you’re reaching for a bottle that’s 100 percent juice. You can also buy tart cherry juice concentrates that you then dilute with water. Either method is an excellent way to squeeze more antioxidants into your day.
References
- "J of Int Soc Sports Nutr."; "Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial"; K.S. Kuehl et al.; 2010
- "Scand J Med Sci Sports"; "Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running"; G. Howatson et al.; Dec. 20, 2010
- "J Med Food"; "Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study"; W.R. Pigeon et al.; June 2010
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