In other words, it’s not the tryptophan itself in tart cherry juice that could make you sleepy, but the tryptophan-boosting antioxidants the juice contains. Research into tart cherry juice has revealed that one of the phytochemicals in this family (Procyanidin B2) appears to stop tryptophan being broken down. “Some of the many anthocyanin benefits that research has uncovered include fighting heart disease, cancer, memory loss and neurological disorders.” “It's a family of powerful phytochemicals that fight the effects of aging and oxidative stress,” says Dr Maruthappu. As Hobson points out, the fruit is high in anthocyanin antioxidants. Now it gets interesting! It’s likely that another tart cherry nutrient is at work to improve sleep patterns. But that’s not a reason to dismiss cherry juice for sleep… Antioxidants Turkey is famed for containing even more tryptophan than chicken, while lettuce, milk, nut milks and oats are other sources. If you compare that to the approximately 400mg tryptophan in 100g of chicken breast, you may conclude there are better sources of this nutrient.” It turns out that the amount of tryptophan is “pretty minimal” says Dr Maruthappu, “at 9mg per 100g. In short, tart cherry juice contains some melatonin but not all that much. But the amount of melatonin provided by their daily dose of tart cherry juice was very small (0.270mcg or 85mcg daily, depending on the study) compared to the typical doses of melatonin that are helpful for sleep (500 to 5000mcg daily). The studies showed that drinking the juice did increase the melatonin levels in people’s systems. “Much more research is needed, but it appears that tart cherries contain small amounts of naturally occurring melatonin and tryptophan, so this may be why some people find they help with sleep,” says Dr Maruthappu. What’s in tart cherry juice that helps you sleep? Melatonin The supplements in our edit below all either have high doses of tart cherry extract or contain it as part of a multi-pronged approach to sleep that includes other known sleep promoters such as valerian, chamomile, passiflora (passion fruit) magnesium, hops and saffron. Yet another study, from 2011, in which 20 people were given 30ml of juice concentrate (equivalent to juice from 100g of cherries), twice a day for two weeks, found it, again, led to significant increases of time spent in bed, sleep time, and sleep efficiency.Īs for what’s on offer in the supplements aisle, the recommended dose of tart cherry concentrate powder or pills most often quoted is 480mg once or twice a day, but concentrations vary wildly and can be as high as 7000mg. However, she cautions, “the studies are very small.” One placebo-controlled study from 2010 concludes that juice a has a modest effect on insomnia in older adults, while a study from 2018 (on eight people) maintains it increases sleep time and efficiency and results in fewer instances of getting up in the night. “There is some recent research that shows that it may increase the duration and depth of sleep,” says dermatologist and nutritionist Dr Thivi Maruthappu. For sport, take it for around five days before, and three days after a big exercise event like a marathon to see benefits, one 2015 study into the effects of cherry juice on exercise-induced stress showed.įor sleep, the same dose taken for two weeks in different studies pointed to the tart juice having a beneficial effect as well. What is the dosage of tart cherry to look for?įor both sports recovery and sleep, the dosage seems to be the same: 240ml of Montmorency cherry juice twice a day, equivalent to the juice of 50-60 cherries. “Research suggests tart cherry juice can help reduce muscle soreness and increase recovery after muscle-damaging exercise, so it is often taken in a sports capacity,” he says. “It’s extremely high in polyphenols, antioxidant plant compounds with a protective and anti-inflammatory action."Īs a sports nutritionist who also struggles with his sleep, he’s as much interested in the post-exercise recovery benefits as those for sleep. “It’s the Montmorency cherry that’s been subjected to clinical research, so that’s the one I focus on,” says sports nutritionist Rob Hobson who helps clients train better with diet.
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