Tart Cherry Juice vs Capsules: Which Is Better?

In the last decade or so, we’ve heard of a lot of new “remedies” for things like inflammation, sleep, PMS, digestion, and the like.

But this is one you should probably keep in your books.

Unlike the sweet variety we love to consume in the summer months, tart cherries are probably ones you want to steer clear of unless you enjoy that little eye twitch and mouth pucker that come when you eat something sour.

But despite the faces you may make while eating or drinking them, tart cherries actually have some pretty awesome health benefits...which is why it's often found in the best sleep supplements.

Here’s why you should be taking it:

You’ll Sleep Like a Baby

If you have nights where no matter how many sheep you count, you just can’t fall asleep, you might want to skip the sheep counting and opt for tart cherry instead.

That’s because tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin , the hormone needed to promote sleep; it binds to receptors in the brain to help reduce nerve activity and help you relax.

Research also suggests another, more interesting hypothesis when it comes to tart cherries and sleep...

...the potent anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries, thanks to the anthocyanins, may influence pro-inflammatory compounds involved in sleep regulation .

Here’s the proof: Clinical Study

One specific study gave participants 30mL of concentrated tart cherry juice 30 minutes after waking and 30 minutes before an evening meal, with the equivalent of 90-100 cherries in each serving for 7 days.

Results showed significantly elevated levels of melatonin in the group consuming the cherry juice, as well as a subsequent increase in time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency .

But wait, there’s more.

Remember we talked about the benefits of tryptophan on inducing sleep?

Yup, tart cherries help out that pathway.

While it doesn’t inherently contain tryptophan, it does contain compounds that inhibit the enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase from degrading tryptophan, thus allowing for its conversion into melatonin.

Related Post: What is the Most Effective Natural Sleep Aid?

Tart Cherry may help improve muscle soreness and reduce inflammation

Have you ever done a tough workout at the gym and you wake up the next morning feeling like you can’t move?

As it turns out, tart cherry could be good for helping relieve muscle pain and soreness, and get you back on your feet.

Why? Tart cherries are a concentrated source of phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity that may help to protect muscles against damage and pain during strenuous exercise.

Clinical Study With Tart Cherry & Reduced Muscle Soreness

A 2010 study looked at the effects of consuming tart cherry juice for 7 days prior to a long-distance running event and found that runners who consumed the cherry juice had less overall pain than those who didn’t .

This may be due to high concentrations of flavonoids and anthocyanins. 

Both of the above have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties ; these compounds may help to reduce circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers, as well as help to mitigate muscle soreness and strength loss caused by physical activity .

By the sounds of that, it may be the newest edition to your post-workout routine.

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Tart Cherry Can Help With Joint Pain Too

But it’s not just muscles that benefit. The anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries can also be a blessing for people who struggle with joint pain, as is the case with inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis.

One study found that consuming tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks decreased inflammation by reducing levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation .

Better brain function? Yes, that too

Your brain is the control center of your body, and you need to protect it.

That doesn’t mean you have to walk around wearing a helmet all day every day, but it does mean you should be eating foods that protect it.

Due to tart cherries high concentration of antioxidants, regular consumption may help to function like that helmet and protect your noggin.

Like we’ve said before, antioxidants work to prevent cellular DNA damage from free-radicals, which we’re exposed to from things like biochemical processes in the body, exercise, smoking and alcohol, environmental pollution, and more .

How Antioxidants May Benefit Brain Health

Antioxidants donate an electron to make these radicals a bit more stable—or enough so that they won’t damage our cells.

And lucky for us, tart cherries are rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic-compounds, but more specifically anthocyanins and hydroxycinnamic acids that help to protect neuronal cells from cell-damaging oxidative stress .

Human studies on the effects of tart cherry and cognitive function are sparse, but one animal study provides some promising evidence.

This study found that tart cherry supplementation improved spatial learning and working memory, as well as reduced inflammation and promoted autophagy; autophagy is like the cellular house clean-up, getting rid of or recycling dead, worn out, or malfunctioning cells .

In doing do, you help to get rid of toxins from your brain that may impede on brain health.

And if you struggle with gout, it may help with that too

Uric acid is the by-product of protein metabolism, and when it starts to build up in the body, it can cause excruciating pain and swelling of the joints, especially in the big toe.

Lucky for us, tart cherry juice has been shown to reduce the amount of uric acid in the body.

In one specific study, 8 ounces of 100% tart cherry juice daily for 4 weeks helped to decrease serum uric acid levels, and on top of that, also elicited marked reductions in TNF‐alpha and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP‐1), both markers inflammation .

So, now that you’ve got an idea of why you should be consuming tart cherries, it comes down to one deciding factor...

If you’re looking for a direct comparison between Tart Cherry Juice and Capsules, here’s what you need to know...

Sour red cherries, also called tart cherries, contains roughly 32.57mg of cyanidin per 100g; cyanidin is the most prominent anthocyanidin (antioxidant) found in tart cherries. Sour cherry powder contains just a tad less at 31.42mg per 100g .

So, whether you prefer it in powdered form or as a liquid, you’re getting roughly the same number of antioxidants per serving. And if you travel a lot or just don’t want to bulkiness of a concentrate, you may find capsules are a bit more manageable.

All in all, it can come down to your personal preference.

Some people don’t like to pop capsule after capsule every day, whereas others are totally fine with it.

But in terms of convenience, tart cherry capsules can be the winner.

After all, popping a few pills after brushing your teeth can be better than drinking some liquid...

Performance Lab Sleep is our highly rated natural sleep aid that comes in capsule form, containing optimal dosages of Montmorency Tart Cherry, L-Tryptophan and more.