Cherry and Tart Cherry: Key Benefits From Muscle Recovery To Sleep

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Cherries, with their deep red hue and tangy taste, aren’t just delicious—they’re also packed with benefits that can be harnessed through supplements. Whether you’re looking to ease muscle soreness after a gym session, get a better night’s sleep, or calm inflammation, cherry and tart cherry supplements might be just what you need. Beyond these perks, they’re also great for heart health and can help keep blood sugar levels in check, making them a natural and wholesome boost to your daily health routine.

What Are Cherry and Tart Cherry?

Cherries are versatile fruits enjoyed worldwide, available in numerous varieties with the most common being sweet and tart. While sweet cherries like Bing are popular for direct consumption, tart cherries, known as sour cherries, are more frequently used in processed forms like dried fruits, juices, and dietary supplements.

Tart cherry supplements, made from the fruit of the Prunus cerasus tree, come in several forms: capsules, powders, and concentrated juices. They are valued for their dense nutritional content, including essential vitamins, minerals, and potent antioxidants. Among these, anthocyanins stand out for their health benefits.

People often turn to cherry and tart cherry supplements for their purported health advantages. These include aiding muscle recovery by reducing exercise-induced inflammation, managing arthritis symptoms, and enhancing sleep quality through natural melatonin content. The antioxidants in tart cherries also help combat oxidative stress, which is linked to numerous chronic diseases.

Using cherry or tart cherry supplements can be a practical way to access the fruit’s benefits throughout the year. This is especially useful when fresh cherries are out of season or if you’re looking to concentrate the fruits’ benefits in a more potent form.

What Are the Benefits of Cherry and Tart Cherry?

• Muscle Recovery: Tart cherry supplements can help accelerate recovery post-exercise by reducing muscle pain and decreasing inflammation. A study on long-distance runners found that drinking tart cherry juice for a week before a race significantly reduced muscle pain and increased satisfaction with pain management among long-distance runners. [PMC2874510]
• Sleep Improvement: Anti-inflammatory properties and naturally occurring melatonin in tart cherries are thought to enhance sleep quality and duration. [PMC5617749]
• Anti-inflammatory Properties: The anti-inflammatory effects of tart cherries can help reduce symptoms of arthritis and gout. Tart cherry (TC) contains polyphenols like cyanidins and quercetin that can reduce inflammation, a key factor in chronic diseases such as arthritis and hypertension. Consuming tart cherries may help manage these conditions by targeting inflammatory pathways. [PMID: 33434683]
• Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Cherries are rich in heart-healthy compounds that may help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. A blinded study investigated older adults who drank tart cherry juice daily for 12 weeks. Results showed that tart cherry juice significantly lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. [PMID: 29862410]
• Immune Support: Regular consumption of cherry supplements can boost the immune system due to their high vitamin C content. A study found that the marathon runners who consumed cherry juice showed lower inflammation levels and had fewer upper respiratory tract symptoms than the placebo group. [PMC4432790]
• Cognition: The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in cherries may also contribute to improved cognitive function and reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases. In a three-month study, middle-aged adults consuming tart Montmorency cherry juice twice daily showed improved attention and reduced mental fatigue, with increased alertness and fewer errors in cognitive tasks compared to those taking a placebo. [PMC9723490]
• Reduction of Blood Pressure: The potassium content in cherries helps regulate blood pressure, which is important for cardiovascular health. [PMID: 29862410]
• Antioxidant Benefits: Both cherry and tart cherry supplements provide powerful antioxidants like anthocyanins that protect against cellular damage and reduce oxidative stress. This study demonstrated that tart cherry juice enhances the ability of older adults to withstand oxidative damage during acute stress by reducing blood markers of oxidative stress and damage to nucleic acids, suggesting improved antioxidant defenses. [PMC3151016]

Is Cherry and Tart Cherry Safe?

Cherry and tart cherry supplements are safe and beneficial, making them a popular choice for those looking to enhance their health naturally. These supplements come from the cherries themselves, so they’re free from synthetic additives, which reassures most people about their safety. As with any product, it’s crucial to pick high-quality supplements from trusted brands to avoid impurities and ensure potency. This simple step helps make sure the supplements mesh well with your overall health plan.

Medication Interactions with Cherry and Tart Cherry

• Blood Thinners (e.g., Warfarin): Tart cherries contain vitamin K and other compounds that have a natural blood-thinning effect, which can enhance the effects of medications like Warfarin. This can increase the risk of bleeding, especially if consumed in large quantities. Monitoring blood levels and adjusting dosages may be necessary if tart cherry supplements are taken alongside these medications.
• NSAIDs (e.g., Ibuprofen, Aspirin): The natural anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries come from their high antioxidant content, including anthocyanins. When used with NSAIDs, which also reduce inflammation but through different mechanisms, there could be an increased risk of gastrointestinal irritation or ulcers. This is because both substances can increase stomach acid or affect the lining of the stomach, so combining them might exacerbate these effects.
• Diabetes Medications: Cherries have a moderate glycemic index but contain bioactive compounds that can influence insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. When combined with diabetes medications, which also lower blood sugar, there could be an additive effect leading to hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar levels). Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is recommended for people using both cherry supplements and diabetes medications.
• ACE Inhibitors (e.g., Lisinopril): These medications are used to lower blood pressure and increase potassium levels in the body. Since cherries, particularly in concentrated supplement form, can contain high levels of potassium, there is a risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood). This condition can affect heart function and increase the risk of cardiac events. People taking ACE inhibitors should monitor their potassium intake carefully when consuming cherry supplements.

Supplement Interactions with Cherry and Tart Cherry

• Vitamin K Supplements: Since cherries contain vitamin K, taking them in conjunction with vitamin K supplements could possibly increase the risk of blood clotting issues, particularly in people who are on blood thinners.
• Iron Supplements: The vitamin C in cherries can increase iron absorption from supplements, which is generally beneficial, but in some cases, it might lead to excessive iron levels, especially in persons with conditions like hemochromatosis.
• Potassium Supplements: Tart cherries contain significant amounts of potassium. Combining them with potassium supplements might lead to hyperkalemia, which is an excessively high potassium level in the blood that can affect heart function.
• Calcium Supplements: When taken together with cherry supplements, which are rich in vitamin C, the absorption of calcium can be increased. This is generally safe, but in people prone to kidney stones or those with hypercalcemia, it could exacerbate these conditions.
• St. John’s Wort: This supplement can affect the metabolism of various substances through its action on liver enzymes. When combined with cherry supplements, which may have mild effects on enzyme levels, there could be unpredictable alterations in the metabolism of both.

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Food First!

Although this article discusses supplements in detail, don’t forget that we are absolutely committed to the “Food First” approach to nutrition. When it comes to your health, the totality of your eating habits far surpasses the impact of individual nutrients or any single supplement you consume. Even though this article doesn’t delve into the broader picture of your overall diet, it’s crucial to keep this element at the forefront of our minds. Your food needs to provide all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals to nourish your body systems down to the cellular level.

Food choices, rather than supplements, are the most critical factors for a healthy gut microbiome. These trillions of tiny inhabitants in your gut affect your brain waves; they orchestrate your immune system. They possess the power to create molecules that can switch genes on or off and are even capable of synthesizing neurotransmitters. Opting for organic foods and steering clear of plastic packaging (including those labeled BPA-free) is a smart move to limit toxin exposure. The sum of all these parts leads to a powerful conclusion: the ultimate key to your health lies in the quality and balance of the food you consume. Supplements are secondary.

What To Eat

To Sum It Up

Cherry and tart cherry supplements bring a variety of health benefits to the table. These natural boosts can help you recover faster from workouts, sleep better, and reduce inflammation. They’re also great for heart health and can help manage diabetes, not to mention their ability to lower cancer risks. Packed with antioxidants, they also fight oxidative stress and keep your skin looking fresh. Just remember to keep in mind how they might interact with other supplements or medications you’re taking, and you’ll be set to make the most of what cherry and tart cherry supplements have to offer.

This Article is Not a Substitute for Medical Advice

Dietary supplements are not designed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The Supplement Sciences website seeks to provide comprehensive access to the most relevant supplement information along with convenient online ordering. We do not provide medical advice and cannot guarantee that every product suggested is completely without risk. Since each person is unique in their health history and medication use, it is important to discuss supplements with your personal physician. Specifically, pregnant women and individuals being treated for cancer or liver or kidney problems must consult their physician about every nutritional supplement they plan to take. People taking medications for the treatment of HIV or with a history of organ transplant must not take supplements without consulting with their physician.