Minor possible side effects of tart cherry juice or supplementation include nervousness, constipation or diarrhea, trouble sleeping, weight loss, loss of appetite, or excessive hunger. More serious side effects include intense stomach pain, dizziness and constant sleepiness, and memory loss.
Neither tart cherry juice nor control significantly altered body weight, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diastolic BP, insulin and HOMA-IR. Our findings show that tart cherry juice can lower the levels of systolic BP and LDL cholesterol.
THE SOUR SIDE: The strong, sour flavor of tart cherry juice may cause uncomfortable digestive issues such as a stomach ache, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort if the juice is consumed in large quantities.
Tart cherry juice is also an excellent source of potassium. Studies have shown that potassium may help keep blood pressure in a healthy range and reduce the risk of stroke.
Tart Cherry Advanced Interactions
Talk with your doctor before you take this supplement if you are using a blood thinner such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin®). Make sure your doctor knows if you are using a medicine to lower cholesterol such as lovastatin, Lescol®, Lipitor®, Pravachol®, or Zocor®.
In another study, men and women with moderately elevated blood pressure who drank 2 ounces of tart cherry juice concentrate also had a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure within 2 hours.
Similarly, drinking tart cherry juice may be most effective for sleep when it is consumed in the evening. Drinking a glass of tart cherry juice after a meal of sleep-supporting foods may provide added benefit.
Tart cherry powder can improve the kidney function according to the image of kidney pathology, and the kidney pathology scores of high-dose group and low-dose group are also lower than that in the model groups, but without statistical significance.
How do you use tart cherry supplements? The recommended dosage for tart cherry is one 480 mg capsule once or twice daily, or as recommended by a healthcare practitioner.
Summary: Older adults who consume tart cherry juice daily may have improved cognitive function. Researchers believe this may be due to anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of the cherries.
A University of Delaware research study found that older adults who drank tart cherry juice made from U.S.-grown tart cherries experienced a reduction in systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Protects the heart.
In summary, our research findings suggest that regular tart cherry juice consumption helps to reduce CVD risk factors in older adults by reducing systolic BP and LDL cholesterol [40].
In a preliminary human trial, people with osteoarthritis who took 400 mg per day of tart cherry extract (supplying 100 mg per day of anthocyanins) for three months had reduced joint tenderness and reported less joint pain and disability.
Some side effects include stomach pain and diarrhea. If you are pregnant or nursing, it is best to stay on the safe side and avoid the supplement. Speak to a doctor before adding any new supplement to your regimen.
The tart cherry extract should start working within a few hours. You may notice that you sleep better and feel more rested after taking the tart cherry extract. But the long-term effect on your body starts showing in 6-8 weeks when it starts healing your body from the inside.
Specifically, the tart cherry group showed a 5% increase in satisfaction with their ability to remember things, a 4% reduction in movement time (a measurement of speed of response to visual stimuli) and a 23% reduction in errors made during an episodic visual memory task (which assesses visual memory and new learning) ...
Tart cherries are an excellent course of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and in pre-clinical studies have been shown to prevent age-related bone loss.
In patients diagnosed with gout, a dietary intervention of a daily tart cherry concentrate drink for a 12-month period will reduce the frequency of gout flares compared with a placebo drink.
Montmorency – or sour pie cherries – have the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food, including blueberries, pomegranates and other fruits. The anti-inflammatory substance found in the peel of the fruit contains the same enzyme as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.
The Studies:
A 2009 study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports tested runners in the London Marathon who consumed 8oz of tart cherry juice a day, and saw an 11% increase in their overall antioxidant status and 49% less inflammation.
Several studies have linked the consumption of tart cherries to decreased inflammation and inflammatory-related conditions like arthritis.
Magnesium intake of 500 mg/d to 1000 mg/d may reduce blood pressure (BP) as much as 5.6/2.8 mm Hg. However, clinical studies have a wide range of BP reduction, with some showing no change in BP.