What is the benefit of juicing cherries?

Cherries are a nutritious fruit that offer many health benefits. Juicing cherries allows you to consume a concentrated dose of the vitamins, minerals and plant compounds found in cherries. Drinking cherry juice can provide anti-inflammatory effects, help improve sleep, support heart health, reduce muscle damage after exercise and more.

Nutrition Facts of Cherries

Cherries are packed with nutrients and antioxidants. One cup (154 grams) of pitted sweet cherries contains (1):

• Calories: 87
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 22 grams
• Sugar: 18 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 10% of the RDI
• Potassium: 12% of the RDI
• Copper: 6% of the RDI
• Vitamin A: 5% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 5% of the RDI

Cherries also contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. The main polyphenols found in cherries include (2):

• Anthocyanins: Give cherries their red color and may reduce inflammation.
• Hydroxycinnamic acids: Improve antioxidant status in the body.
• Flavonols: May have anti-inflammatory effects.
• Proanthocyanidins: Associated with heart health benefits.

By juicing cherries, you remove the fiber but retain most of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants like polyphenols.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Inflammation is a normal immune response, but excessive or chronic inflammation is linked to several diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and autoimmune conditions (3).

Cherries contain several anti-inflammatory compounds, including anthocyanins, quercetin and kaempferol. These compounds block inflammatory pathways and may reduce levels of inflammatory markers like CRP (4, 5).

One study gave 18 participants 280 grams of Bing cherries. They experienced a significant decrease in inflammatory markers after eating the cherries (6).

Another study showed that drinking cherry juice reduced some inflammatory markers by 25–45% compared to a placebo drink (7).

By reducing inflammation, cherries may help relieve inflammatory conditions like gout, arthritis and joint pain.

May Improve Sleep Quality

Cherries are one of the few natural food sources of melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle (8).

They contain about 0.1–0.3 milligrams of melatonin per 100 grams. Your body naturally produces melatonin as well, but juice made from tart cherries provides extra melatonin (9).

This may improve sleep quality. In one study, 20 participants drank tart cherry juice or a placebo juice for 7 days. The cherry juice increased melatonin levels and improved sleep quality and efficiency (10).

Melatonin has also been studied for insomnia in older adults. In one study, drinking tart cherry juice helped increase sleep time by an average of 84 minutes per night (11).

May Support Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and smoking (12).

Cherries may improve several of these risk factors. For starters, they are high in potassium, which may help lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels (13).

Anthocyanins in cherries may also reduce cholesterol levels. Mice fed freeze-dried black cherry powder for 90 days had significantly lower total cholesterol levels than a control group (14).

Additionally, these anthocyanins may reduce oxidative stress, preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and formation of plaque in arteries (15).

A review of 10 studies concluded that intake of 480 mg of anthocyanins per day may lower LDL cholesterol levels by 13 mg/dl and systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg (16).

May Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise

Exercise-induced muscle damage often causes pain, swelling and limited function. The soreness is strongest 24–72 hours after exercise (17).

Several studies indicate that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice after strenuous exercise reduces muscle damage and soreness (18, 19).

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in cherries likely contribute to these effects. Tart cherry juice appears to be more effective than sweet cherry juice (20).

In one study, marathon runners drank 300 ml of tart cherry juice twice daily for seven days prior to a race. On race day, they drank 600 ml right before and after the marathon (21).

The runners who consumed the cherry juice experienced less muscle damage and up to 48% less pain after the race compared to a placebo group (21).

May Support Brain Function

Dementia refers to a group of conditions characterized by declines in memory, communication, problem-solving and other brain functions. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia (22).

Oxidative stress and inflammation near brain cells are linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s (23).

Given their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, researchers have become interested in the potential cognitive benefits of cherries.

Anthocyanin-rich cherry juice improved short-term memory in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia in one study. After 12 weeks, they experienced improvements in verbal fluency and short-term memory (24).

Another study found that drinking 200 ml of cherry juice daily improved cognitive function in older adults (25).

Other Potential Benefits

Here are a few other potential health benefits of cherries and cherry juice:

• May reduce belly fat: Cherry consumption was associated with reduced belly fat and lower blood sugar levels in mice. Antioxidants are thought to contribute to these effects (26).
• May support post-workout recovery: Tart cherry juice helped reduce symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage in elite athletes after a marathon (27).
• Contains nutrients important for bone health: Cherries contain calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which play key roles in bone health. However, more research is needed on this topic (1, 28).

Possible Downsides to Juicing Cherries

While juicing cherries can provide benefits, there are a few downsides to consider:

• You lose fiber and nutrients from discarded cherry skins and pulp.
• Cherry juice is high in sugar, so it’s best to consume it in moderation, especially if you have diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
• Store-bought cherry juice may contain added sugars. Check ingredient lists carefully.
• Cherry juice is acidic, so it may cause reflux if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Drinking cherry juice right before bed may disrupt your sleep cycle, as it contains some natural sugar.

How to Make Cherry Juice at Home

It’s easy to make homemade cherry juice. Here is a simple recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted sweet cherries
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Wash and pit the cherries.
2. In a blender, combine the pitted cherries, lemon juice, sweetener (if desired), ice and water.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a glass. Discard the pulp.
5. Enjoy the juice right away or store it covered in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.

Concerns With Store-Bought Cherry Juice

It’s simple to make fresh cherry juice at home. However, store-bought cherry juice is widely available as well. When buying pre-made cherry juice, keep these things in mind:

• Read ingredient lists. Some brands contain added sugars, preservatives and other questionable ingredients.
• Look for 100% cherry juice with no other juices or sweeteners.
• Avoid “cherry juice blends” that mix in other fruit juices like apple or grape.
• Watch out for juices made from “cherry juice concentrate,” which may have fewer nutrients.
• Opt for organic, cold-pressed juices not made from concentrate.

How Much Cherry Juice Should You Drink?

There’s no official recommendations for how much cherry juice to drink per day.

Most studies use around 200–300 ml (6–10 ounces) as a single dose. However, larger doses up to 600 ml (20 ounces) appear safe and effective as well (29).

To reduce muscle soreness, it may be beneficial to drink cherry juice for 2–3 days prior to exercise and again immediately after exercise (30).

For other health conditions like inflammation, gout, insomnia and dementia, aim for 1–2 servings (200–300 ml) per day.

Be sure to account for the natural sugars in cherry juice if you need to monitor your sugar intake.

The Bottom Line

Cherry juice is rich in nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Drinking it is linked to reduced muscle damage after exercise, lower inflammation, improved sleep and cognitive function.

For the most benefits, opt for homemade cherry juice or 100% cherry juice with no added sugars. Drink 1–2 servings (200–300 ml) daily.

Pair cherry juice with a healthy diet and lifestyle to take advantage of all that cherries have to offer.