Cherry Juice Supports Better Sleep Quality
If you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, then you might want to try a glass of cherry juice. A study conducted by researchers at Northumbria University reveals that consuming tart cherry juice concentrate not only helps you sleep longer, but also improves the quality of your sleep.
What’s behind cherry’s power to support restful sleep? The tart Montmorency cherries used in the study contain melatonin—the same substance your body naturally produces that plays a key role in your sleep-wake cycle. When consumed in higher dosages, Melatonin acts as a potent antioxidant, protecting your body from free radical damage.
Study Design
In the study, 20 healthy volunteers drank about one ounce of either a tart cherry juice concentrate or a placebo juice twice a day for seven days. Participants also wore an actigraphy watch sensor which monitored their sleep and wake cycles and kept a daily diary on their sleeping patterns. Urine samples were collected from all participants before and during the investigation to determine levels of melatonin.
Study Results
The researchers found that when participants drank tart cherry juice concentrate for a week there was a significant increase in their urinary melatonin (15-16%) than the control condition and placebo drink samples.
The actigraphy measurements of participants who consumed the juice saw an increase of about 15 minutes relaxing in bed, 25 minutes in their total sleep time and a 5-6% increase in their ‘sleep efficiency’, a global measure of sleep quality.
The cherry juice drinkers also reported less daytime napping time compared to their normal sleeping habits before the study or to the placebo group.
Study Implications
Dr Howatson, an exercise physiologist, and lead researcher said, “We were initially interested in the application of tart cherries in recovery from strenuous exercise. Sleep forms a critical component in that recovery process, which is often forgotten. These results show that tart cherry juice concentrate can be used to facilitate sleep in healthy adults and, excitingly, has the potential to be applied as a natural intervention, not only to athletes, but to other populations with general disturbed sleep from shift work or jet lag.”
Melatonin Sources
In addition to Montmorency cherries, other food sources of melatonin include sunflower seeds, flax seeds, black and white mustard seed, and St. John’s wort. Melatonin is also available in supplement form.
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