NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Tart Cherry

Prunus cerasus

Anthocyanin-rich sour cherry for recovery and sleep

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
14 verified / 14
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup pitted (155 g)

155gSERVING
  • Water 133.5 g86%
  • Sugars 13.2 g9%
  • Fibre 2.5 g2%
  • Other carbs 3.2 g2%
  • Protein 1.6 g1%
  • Fat 0.5 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C17%Vitamin A (RAE)11%Copper18%Fibre9%Manganese8%Potassium6%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
78 kcal1.6 g protein2.5 g fiber0.5 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C16 mg17%
Vitamin A (RAE)99 µg11%
Copper0.16 mg18%
Fibre2.5 g9%
Manganese0.17 mg8%
Potassium268 mg6%
Magnesium14 mg3%
Folate12 µg3%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Tart Cherry?

Tart Cherry (Prunus cerasus) is a fruit used for may speed recovery of muscle strength and power after strenuous exercise. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Human evidence for tart cherry is strongest, and meta-analytic, for exercise recovery: pooled RCTs show a moderate benefit for recovery of muscle strength and power and small reductions in soreness and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6), though effects on creatine kinase are inconsistent. Small RCTs suggest tart cherry juice/concentrate, a natural source of melatonin, modestly improves sleep duration and efficiency. Trials also show transient reductions in serum uric acid and, in older adults, modest drops in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Limitations are substantial: most studies are small, short, industry-adjacent, and use juice or concentrate rather than whole fruit, so results may not transfer to eating fresh cherries. Hard clinical endpoints (gout flares, cardiovascular events) remain unproven, keeping the overall weight of evidence moderate.

Purported Benefits

✓May speed recovery of muscle strength and power after strenuous exercise
✓Modestly reduces exercise-induced muscle soreness and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6)
✓May improve sleep duration and efficiency (endogenous melatonin source)
✓Can transiently lower serum uric acid
✓May modestly lower systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in older adults
✓High dietary antioxidant capacity from anthocyanins

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Common food serving is about 1 cup (155 g) of fresh pitted sour cherries. Most clinical trials used Montmorency tart cherry juice or concentrate (e.g. 30-60 mL concentrate, or 240-480 mL juice once or twice daily) rather than whole fruit, often for 7-12 days around exercise or 12 weeks for cardiometabolic outcomes.
Active Compounds
Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside)Flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol)Hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, neochlorogenic acid)MelatoninVitamin CProvitamin A carotenoids (beta-carotene)PotassiumCopper and manganeseSoluble fibre

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as a food. Concentrates and juices carry a meaningful sugar/calorie load, relevant for diabetes and weight management. Cherries contain oxalates and a moderate FODMAP (sorbitol) load, which may cause GI upset or matter for stone-forming individuals at high intake. As a stone-fruit, allergy (oral allergy syndrome, especially with birch-pollen sensitivity) is possible. Anthocyanin/polyphenol supplements may theoretically interact with anticoagulants; the melatonin content can add to sedative effects. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 interaction is established. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Tart Cherry with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 14 studies

Meta-analysis Zhang 2026 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of randomised trials finding tart cherry intake lowers serum uric acid, supported by network pharmacology.
Meta-analysis Hong 2026 (Sports Med Open) ✓ Source
Meta-analysis of 19 trials in trained athletes found tart cherry juice significantly improved maximal voluntary contraction recovery at every timepoint (24h ES=1.12; 48h ES=1.29; 72h ES=2.14) and reduced IL-6 and IL-8.
Meta-analysis Abadi 2025 (Ann Med Surg) ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 trials found tart cherry juice significantly improved maximal voluntary isometric contraction (+9.13%) and decreased IL-6 (-0.4 pg/ml) and IL-8 (-0.3 pg/ml) after exercise-induced muscle damage.
Meta-analysis Stretton 2023 (Curr Sleep Med Rep) ✓ Source
Meta-analysis of 8 studies found tart cherry significantly improved objective sleep efficiency (ES=0.63, 95% CI 0.29-0.97, P<0.01) and total sleep time, but subjective sleep measures were not significant.
Systematic review Barforoush 2025 (Food Sci Nutr) ✓ PubMed
Systematic review concluded tart cherry juice/concentrate improved sleep quality and increased melatonin in several trials, but capsule/powder forms showed no benefit, suggesting form-dependent effects.
Systematic review and meta-analysis Hill 2021 ✓ PubMed
Tart cherry supplementation produces a moderate benefit for recovery of muscular strength and small reductions in muscle soreness after strenuous exercise; pooled analyses also indicate reductions in CRP and IL-6.
Clinical trial Sabou 2026 ✓ PubMed
Trial showing tart cherry supplementation differentially regulates the skeletal-muscle proteome after eccentric exercise.
RCT Nutrients 2024 (PMC11644614) ✓ Full text
Randomized crossover RCT in 34 adults with overweight/obesity found 500 mg Montmorency tart cherry powder for 14 days did not improve sleep outcomes or inflammation markers (CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6) versus placebo.
RCT Hillman 2021 ✓ PubMed
Acute Montmorency tart cherry intake transiently reduced serum uric acid (~8%) but had no effect on hs-CRP or oxidative capacity.
RCT Chai 2018 ✓ Full text
12 weeks of tart cherry juice lowered systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in older adults versus control.
RCT Chai 2019 ✓ PubMed
12 weeks of Montmorency tart cherry juice improved measures of cognition (memory, movement/processing speed, learning) in older adults.
RCT Howatson 2012 ✓ PubMed
Tart cherry juice concentrate raised circulating melatonin and increased time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency in healthy adults.
Review Yang 2026 ✓ PubMed
Narrative review of food-based antioxidant nutrition for exercise recovery and training adaptation.
Review Rick 2026 ✓ PubMed
Allergens from plant-based food allergen sources and their clinical and diagnostic relevance
14 sources cited · 14 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Tart Cherry

What is Tart Cherry used for?

Tart Cherry is most often taken for May speed recovery of muscle strength and power after strenuous exercise, Modestly reduces exercise-induced muscle soreness and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6), May improve sleep duration and efficiency (endogenous melatonin source), Can transiently lower serum uric acid. Anthocyanin-rich sour cherry for recovery and sleep

Does Tart Cherry work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Human evidence for tart cherry is strongest, and meta-analytic, for exercise recovery: pooled RCTs show a moderate benefit for recovery of muscle strength and power and small reductions in soreness and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6), though effects on creatine kinase are inconsistent. Small RCTs suggest tart cherry juice/concentrate, a natural source of melatonin, modestly improves sleep duration and efficiency. Trials also show transient reductions in serum uric acid and, in older adults, modest drops in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Limitations are substantial: most studies are small, short, industry-adjacent, and use juice or concentrate rather than whole fruit, so results may not transfer to eating fresh cherries. Hard clinical endpoints (gout flares, cardiovascular events) remain unproven, keeping the overall weight of evidence moderate.

What is the typical dose of Tart Cherry?

Common food serving is about 1 cup (155 g) of fresh pitted sour cherries. Most clinical trials used Montmorency tart cherry juice or concentrate (e.g. 30-60 mL concentrate, or 240-480 mL juice once or twice daily) rather than whole fruit, often for 7-12 days around exercise or 12 weeks for cardiometabolic outcomes.

Is Tart Cherry safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as a food. Concentrates and juices carry a meaningful sugar/calorie load, relevant for diabetes and weight management. Cherries contain oxalates and a moderate FODMAP (sorbitol) load, which may cause GI upset or matter for stone-forming individuals at high intake. As a stone-fruit, allergy (oral allergy syndrome, especially with birch-pollen sensitivity) is possible. Anthocyanin/polyphenol supplements may theoretically interact with anticoagulants; the melatonin content can add to sedative effects. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 interaction is established.

How many studies support Tart Cherry?

NutriDex cites 14 sources for Tart Cherry, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Tart Cherry (Prunus cerasus): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/tart-cherry

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_tart_cherry,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Tart Cherry (Prunus cerasus): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/tart-cherry},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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