The Science

Montmorency tart cherry is thought to be a natural food to aid exercise, recovery and endurance.

A new study published in January 2020 revealed that tart cherry concentrate has a significant benefit for endurance exercise performance. It showed that when ingested for seven days, 1.5 hours before exercise performance testing, it significantly improved endurance. This is thought to be due to its low glycaemic index, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative capacity, and blood flow enhancing effects.

Tart cherry concentrate has also previously been shown to improve recovery. A research paper revealed that Montmorency cherries could accelerate the recovery of a number of functional performance measures including reduced symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. One common symptom, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can be reduced as the antioxidant content of Montmorency cherries results in its potent anti-inflammatory action. This is because oxidative stress induced by muscle damage during exercise is lessened by the antioxidative effects of the phytochemicals within the Montmorency cherries.

A third study involved 27 endurance-trained runners or triathletes randomly assigned to ingest, in a double-blind manner, capsules containing 480mg of a placebo or powdered tart cherries. Subjects supplemented one time daily for 10 days including race day, up to 48 hours post-run. Subjects completed a half-marathon run and those supplemented with Montmorency cherry averaged 13 per cent faster half marathon race finish times and had lower markers of muscle breakdown, reduced immune and inflammatory stress, and increased performance.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is unusually high. High blood pressure does not usually have symptoms, and can do significant damage to organs such as kidneys and heart. A blood pressure monitor can be used to detect high blood pressure. Montmorency tart cherries may provide a number of cardiovascular benefits including reduction of blood pressure.

A 2016 study involved 15 participants displaying early hypertension with blood pressure readings exceeding 130/90 mmHg being given 60ml of a Montmorency cherry concentrate or the same quantity of a commercially available cordial. Blood pressure and samples were taken before administration and on an hourly basis and researchers found that participants given the cherry concentrate saw a peak reduction in their blood pressure of 7mmHg in the three hours following consumption.

Previous studies have shown a reduction of between 5-6 mmHg over a sustained period has been associated with a 38 per cent reduced risk of a stroke and 23 per cent reduced risk of coronary heart disease. These benefits are linked to the combined actions phenolic acids on the positive impact they have on vascular function.

Montmorency tart cherries are one of the few foods high in naturally occurring melatonin, a hormone critical in regulation of the sleep cycle.

A 2018 study, involved eight participants aged 50 years or older with chronic insomnia taking part in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Participants who passed the screening were randomly assigned to either a Montmorency tart cherry juice group or a placebo control group. Those in the Montmorency tart cherry juice group consumed (240 ml) of Montmorency tart cherry juice containing a measured level of procyanidin in the morning and at night, one to two hours before bedtime, for 14 days. When compared to a placebo, Montmorency tart cherry juice was found to significantly extend sleep time of the senior insomniacs by 84 minutes and increased their sleep efficiency.

Direct evidence that dietary supplementation with Montmorency tart cherry juice increases circulating melatonin and provides modest improvements in sleep time was revealed in a 2012 study. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover designed study, 20 male and female participants, aged 18-40, with no reported sleep disturbances drank either two servings of Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate (total of 60ml concentrate mixed with water) or a placebo beverage for seven days. The tart cherry consumption resulted in a statistically significant increase of time in bed (25 minutes), total sleep time (34 minutes) and increased sleep efficiency by five to six per cent.

In a 2010 pilot study of 15 men and women, aged 65 and older, with chronic insomnia, tart cherry consumption resulted in significant improvements in the Insomnia Severity Index and a 62 minute improvement in waking after sleep onset. The participants drank two eight-ounce servings of Montmorency tart cherry juice a day for two weeks. When compared to a placebo, the tart cherry group produced significant reductions in insomnia severity (the minutes awake after sleep onset) and had a beneficial effect on sleep in older adults with insomnia.

Arthritis is a condition which causes pain and inflammation in the joints. Gout is a form of arthritis, caused by excess uric acid in the blood, which crystallises in your joints. Gout attacks are sudden and can cause serious pain and stiffness in the joints.

For decades, arthritis and gout sufferers have turned to cherries to relieve their symptoms - despite the evidence to support the benefits only being anecdotal. The first organised study to examine the potential of cherries in the treatment of arthritis and gout was conducted in the 1950s. This preliminary investigation consisting of twelve patients with arthritis and gout, found that daily consumption of 225g of canned cherries helped to reduce the frequency of self reported gout attacks and the painful symptoms associated with arthritis. The participants also displayed lower levels of uric acid in their blood.

Since then, a myriad of scientific studies have been published, investigating the link between cherries and reduction in symptoms associated with gout and arthritis. In 2014, a study conducted in the UK used two different volumes of Montmorency cherry concentrate, 30ml and 60ml, to investigate the impact on the levels of anthocyanins and uric acid in the blood, as well as inflammation. Twelve healthy participants with gout were given the two different doses of the concentrate with a washout period of 10 days between each dose phase. The tart cherries were found to significantly reduce uric acid levels up to 8 hours. The levels began to increase back to the starting levels after 24-48 hours. The 30 mL dose was just as effective as the 60 mL dose.

A study examined the relationship between cherry intake and the risk of recurrent gout attacks among individuals with gout for one year. It consisted of 633 individuals and revealed that 42% of gout patients used cherries in some form. The analysis of the group found that cherry intake over a 2-day period was associated with a 35% lower risk of gout attacks compared to no intake. When tart cherries were combined with medication (the uric acid-reducing drug allopurinol), the risk of gout attacks was 75% lower.