Tart cherry
Prunus cerasus
Fruits. Folk & home remedies and Modern nutrition.
Also called Sour cherry, Montmorency cherry, Pie cherry
Pinyin: Suān Yīng Táo
Spanish: Guinda
Tart cherries are sour red cherries, mostly eaten dried, frozen or as juice, and studied for sleep and muscle recovery.
Did you know? Most tart cherries grown in the US are one variety, called Montmorency, and most people find them too sour to eat fresh.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Sleep. Several small trials found that tart cherry juice helped people sleep a bit longer. The trials are short and small.Early proof
- Muscles & exercise. Small trials in athletes found less muscle soreness after hard exercise. Results are mixed and the groups were small.Early proof
- Joint pain & arthritis. Some observational studies link cherry eating to fewer gout attacks. There are no good trials of cherries for gout.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Sour cherries have been grown in Europe and western Asia since ancient times. Folk remedies have used cherry juice for joint pain and gout, but these uses are not well tested.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Nutritive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Most trials used juice or concentrate, not fresh cherries. No standard dose is set for sleep or muscle recovery.
Juice, food and capsule.
Where to get it
Grown mainly in Michigan and other cool northern areas, and in Europe and Turkey. Sold fresh (seasonal), frozen, dried, as juice and concentrate, and in capsules. Key nutrients: vitamin C, potassium, fiber, anthocyanins and small amounts of melatonin.
Be careful
Generally safe as food. Juice and concentrate can carry a lot of sugar, and large amounts may loosen stools. Cherry pits contain cyanide compounds, so do not crush or chew them.
Mixing with other things
No specific mixing notes on file. That doesn't prove it's safe with everything; ask a pharmacist about your full list.
The honest take
Tart cherry is a healthy fruit with real vitamins and fiber. Its sleep and muscle claims come from small trials that need larger follow-up. Concentrated juice adds sugar, and the gout idea rests on observational data.