Tart cherries are a low-calorie food with multiple essential nutrients as part of a healthy diet, including fiber, vitamin C, potassium, polyphenols and carotenoids.¹ Polyphenols are an antioxidant that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.² 

As part of a daily diet, carotenoids, an antioxidant, can help reduce the risk of the following cancers: breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal.³ Cherries can also aid in the symptom management of multiple types of arthritis, oxidative stress, and post-exercise muscle soreness.¹

Cherries contain tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin.¹ Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps regulate the serotonin and melatonin levels.⁴ Melatonin is a natural hormone that the brain produces at nighttime which regulates the body’s 24-hour clock along with natural sleep cycles.⁵ Serotonin regulates several different functions such as mood regulation, sleep, and wellbeing.⁶ Tart cherry juice includes phytochemicals⁷; benefits include maintaining a healthy immune system, decreasing inflammation, and slowing cancerous cell growth.⁸

Cardiovascular Health

Tart cherries can help boost blood circulation, maintain a healthy blood pressure, and reduce high cholesterol levels due to the fruit’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients of polyphenols and anthocyanins.⁹ Tart cherry juice can also decrease cardiac plaque buildup, studies have shown after 12 consistent weeks of consumption.⁹ 

Patients with diabetes can benefit from tart cherry juice due to its low glycemic index. The anthocyanin and phenols in tart cherry juice helps to manage insulin resistance, A1C levels, and reduce blood sugar. Tart cherries naturally increase the production of insulin in the pancreas and can also aid in the storage of glucose in the liver.⁹ 

Arthritis Treatment

Tart cherry juice is loaded with anti-inflammatory components which help decrease swelling and pain, particularly for patients with osteoarthritis. Studies have indicated that over a three-week period consuming tart cherry juice twice a day led to a significant reduction in inflammation.⁹ Further, tart cherries can help lower the body’s uric acid levels to help prevent, manage, and treat gout attacks.⁹ 

Immune System

The antioxidants in tart cherry juice can help maintain a healthy immune system.⁹ Tart cherry juice is packed with vitamins and minerals, such as copper and vitamin C which are necessary to help prevent and fight infections.⁹ The antioxidant flavonoid in tart cherries helps boost immune systems.⁹ Tart cherries can also increase energy levels due to the fruit’s carbs and micronutrients which produce natural energy.⁹ Additional benefits of these antioxidants include preventing tissue damage throughout aging.⁹

Brain Health

Tart cherry juice can also help preserve short- and long-term memory in older adults, particularly for patients with Alzheimer’s disease due to the fruit’s fatty acid and cherry extract which helps reduce inflammation in the brain and to help slow down the progression of the disease.⁹

Eye Health

The melatonin and Vitamin C in  cherries helps prevent glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.⁹ These cherries also contain Vitamin A which helps prevent night-time blindness, cataracts, and dry eyes.⁹

Weight Management

Tart cherries are also known to help maintain metabolism and can aid in reducing body fat.⁹ Further, the anthocyanins present in these types of cherries can help reduce inflammation caused by obesity.⁹

Why are Tart Cherries Special? 

Tart cherries are available as dried, frozen, canned, juice, and juice concentrate.¹⁰ These cherries differ from other cherries due to their sweet-and-sour taste and the variety of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants they contain.¹⁰ The polyphenol ingredient in these cherries also contributes to the unique taste and color of this cherry.¹⁰

Sources

1. Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD. A review of the health benefits of cherries. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. 
   
2. Nock E. What are polyphenols? Another great reason to eat fruits and veggies. Colorado State University Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center. Jun 2021. https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/krnc/monthly-blog/what-are-polyphenols-another-great-reason-to-eat-fruits-and-veggies/ Accessed 16 Apr 2024.
3. Cleveland Clinic. Eat the rainbow: the health benefits of carotenoids. 11 Jul 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/carotenoids Accessed 16 Apr 2024.
4. Mount Sinai.org. Tryptophan. Reviewed 4 Feb 2022. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/tryptophan# Accessed 16 Apr 2024.
5. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. National Institutes of Health. Updated Jul 2022. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know# Accessed 16 Apr 2024.           
6. Healthdirect.gov.au. Serotonin. Reviewed Oct 2023. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/serotonin# Accessed 16 Apr 2024.
7. Tanabe Y, Fujii N, Suzuki K. Dietary supplementation for attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness in humans. Nutrients. 2021;14(1):70.
8. Bramlet K. Phytochemicals and cancer: what you should know. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/phytochemicals-and-cancer-what-you-should-know.h10-1591413.html# Accessed 16 Apr 2024.
9. Kumar K. What are the 16 potential health benefits of tart cherry juice? MedicineNet.com Reviewed 19 Jul 2022. https://www.medicinenet.com/16_potential_health_benefits_of_tart_cherry_juice/article.htm Accessed 17 Apr 2024.
10. Choose Cherries. About Montmorency. 2024. https://www.choosecherries.com/tart-cherries-101/ Accessed 17 Apr 2024.