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It's bitter, and somewhat unsavory to drink. But tart cherry juice has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years for its potential health benefits, including increased athletic performance and faster muscle recovery.
"The evidence suggests that if you take tart cherry, or polyphenol fruits in general, you recover quicker," Dr. Anthony Lynn, a researcher at Sheffield Hallam University, told Insider.
Working out, like going on a run or lifting heavier weights than normal, can cause muscle damage, leading to inflammation and soreness the next day.
"The next day when you wake up and think, 'oh my God, why did I go to the gym?" said Lynn, "that's your exercise induced muscle damage."
But tart cherries, sweet cherries and other fruits like blueberries and pomegranate are rich in polyphenols, chemical compounds which researchers think may aid in muscle recovery, said Lynn.
Lynn was one of the coauthors on a 2021 paper that looked at several different studies on tart cherry and muscle recovery. The researchers found that "the evidence seemed fairly convincing that tart cherry causes a quicker recovery of muscle function," he said.
There is also some new evidence to suggest that tart cherries may not only aid in muscle recovery, but improve athletic performance. A small 2019 study in eight competitive male cyclists found that tart cherry pills slightly sped up how quickly participants finished a 9-mile race.
Although evidence is generally favorable, Lynn said there are a couple caveats: most research has only been done in healthy adults, not elite athletes — so it's not yet known whether tart cherry juice is good for elite athletes the same way it is for a recreational athlete.
Also most research on tart cherry juice has been conducted in men, not women. In general, more research is needed to see if there is really a benefit.
Tart cherry juice could be good for other things beyond athletic performance — though more research is needed in these areas too.
"There seems to be a body of evidence that generally suggests that tart cherry might lower blood pressure and might have vascular benefits," said Lynn. A small 2016 study in people with the beginning stages of high blood pressure found that two servings of tart cherry juice temporarily lowered blood pressure just a few hours after drinking the juice.
But tart cherry juice may only lower blood pressure in people who already have elevated blood pressure. Lynn ran a study in healthy volunteers, but didn't find that tart cherry juice changed blood pressure for people who had blood pressure that was already in the normal range.
Tart cherry juice might also be an effective sleep aid, Lynn said, because tart cherries contain melatonin. A small 2012 study found that tart cherry increases melatonin levels, and those who drank tart cherry juice had increased total sleep, and sleep efficiency.
But don't replace your melatonin gummy with a glass of juice just yet.
"The amount of melatonin in tart cherry is actually a lot less than the dose of melatonin you would take if you're going to take a melatonin supplement to help you sleep," Lynn said. "My gut feeling is there needs to be more studies still to confirm the effect on sleep."
Luckily, tart cherry juice is a relatively safe supplement, he said. Even if 1-2 servings don't do much to help, it likely won't hurt. But like with any new supplement or medication, Lynn recommends talking to your doctor first.
