Cherry juice is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that could make it a good addition to your diet. Research shows that cherries' benefits include better sleep, reduced inflammation, less muscle soreness, and lower blood pressure. That’s because cherries—and cherry juice—contain polyphenols and anthocyanins, two types of molecules that can reduce inflammation in the body.

The benefits of tart cherry juice are especially powerful since tart cherries contain more anthocyanins. It’s always best to avoid cherry juice with lots of added sugar, which could counteract some of the health benefits of cherries.

Woman drinking cheryr juice

While there are scientific studies about cherry juice, most are small. Cherry juice may not have the same benefits for everyone. You should never discontinue other medications or treatments before incorporating cherry juice, and should always talk with your healthcare provider about possible interactions or side effects.

1. Fights Inflammation and Arthritis Pain

Cherry juice is packed with antioxidants, substances that combat cell damage in your body. Because of this, cherry juicemay help with arthritis pain. A randomized study has found that tart cherry juice may reduce pain and joint stiffness,while a mice study has found it prevents bone loss.

2. May Reduce Blood Pressure

The benefits of tart cherry juice can include lowering blood pressure. This type of cherry juice lowers systolic blood pressure (the pressure in your blood vessels when the heart pumps blood). One study that found this benefit had participants drink 480 milliliters (about 16 ounces) of tart cherry juice each day for 12 weeks.

3. Can Lower “Bad” Cholesterol

Another benefit of tart cherry juice is lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” type of cholesterol that can raise your risk for heart attack or stroke.

4. Aids Post Workout Recovery

Research has found that regularly consuming tart cherry juice can reduce muscle soreness after exercise.Studies have shown that people who drank tart cherry juice after exercise restored their muscle function more quickly than people who didn’t.

5. Reduces Gout Risk

Research shows that eating cherries and drinking tart cherry juice may reduce your risk of developinggoutor experiencing symptoms of gout attack.Gout is an inflammatory disease, so the anti-inflammatory properties of cherry juice help with symptoms

6. May Boost Sleep Quality

Some people sleep better after consuming tart cherry juice. In fact, cherry juice is a key ingredient in the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” that’s recently gone viral. A small study found that people with insomnia slept better after consuming two 8-ounce glasses of tart cherry juice each day.Cherries contain melatonin, a compound that helps regulate sleep; so drinking tart cherry juice may help with sleep issues.

7. May Reduce Risk of Diabetes

Some research suggests that consuming cherry juice may be helpful for people with diabetes. One small study found that consuming cherry juice can help reduce A1C levels (average blood sugar levels over the most recent three months) while others showed that it can help stabilize fasting blood sugar levels.An animal study found that consuming cherries could reduce the risk of diabetes in at-risk populations, something that may be true in humans as well.

8. Can Fight Stress and Anxiety

Cherry juice can impact your mental health, too. Research has found that cherry juice consumption may help reduce stress and anxiety.

9. May Help Short-Term Memory

Cherry juice may help short-term memory. A small study found that drinking 200 milliliters (about 7 ounces) of cherry juice each day for 12 weeks improved both short-term and long-term memory in adults with mild to moderate dementia.

10. Builds a Stronger Immune System

Cherry juice contains vitamins A and C, which support the immune system. Research has also found that cherries can help fight off harmful bacteria.

11. Improves Vision

Anthocyanins, the antioxidants found in cherry juice, are very good for your eyes. They can reduce inflammation that can contribute to eye disease and vision changes. The antioxidant properties of cherry juice can help fight offmacular degeneration, and improve vision in patients withglaucoma.

12. May Prevent Cancer

Can Cherry Juice Help You Lose Weight?Cherry juice may be part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s not likely to help you lose weight. Multiple studies have found that cherry juice consumption doesn’t have an impact on body mass index (BMI) or body composition.

Can Cherry Juice Help You Lose Weight?

Cherry juice may be part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s not likely to help you lose weight. Multiple studies have found that cherry juice consumption doesn’t have an impact on body mass index (BMI) or body composition.

How Often (and When) Should You Drink Cherry Juice?

Who Should Avoid Drinking Cherry Juice?

Cherry juice is generally safe. However, you should talk with your healthcare provider if you’re taking any medications. There aren’t widely recognized interactions between cherry juice and medications, but it’s always best to talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

It’s best to opt for unsweetened cherry juice since too much added sugar can negatively affect health.People with diabetes or at risk for developing diabetes should be mindful of their juice intake since even unsweetened juices can impact blood sugar.

Summary

If you’re on any medications or are at risk for diabetes, talk with your healthcare provider before starting adding cherry juice to your diet. Remember, it may take 12 weeks or more to see the benefits of cherry juice—while some people won’t notice the benefits at all. However, cherry juice is generally a safe and widely available way to increase your antioxidant and nutrient intake.

16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP.Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Aug;21(8):1035-41. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.009Moon N, Effiong L, Song L, Gardner TR, Soung DY.Tart cherry prevents bone loss through inhibition of RANKL in TNF-overexpressing mice.Nutrients. 2018;11(1):63. doi:10.3390/nu11010063Chai SC , Davis K , Wright RS , Kuczmarski MF , Zhang Z .Impact of tart cherry juice on systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct. 2018 Jun 20;9(6):3185-3194. doi: 10.1039/c8fo00468dKelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD.A review of the health benefits of cherries.Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. doi:10.3390/nu10030368McHugh MP.“Precovery” versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Jun;32(6):940-950. doi: 10.1111/sms.14141.Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, et al.Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms.Am J Ther. 2018;25(2):e194-e201. doi:10.1097/MJT.0000000000000584Juhnevica-Radenkova K, Moreno DA, Ikase L, Drudze I, Radenkovs V.Naturally occurring melatonin: Sources and possible ways of its biosynthesis.Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(6):4008-4030. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12639Van der Werf R, Walter C, Bietiger W, Seyfritz E, Mura C, Peronet C, Legrandois J, Werner D, Ennahar S, Digel F, Maillard-Pedracini E, Pinget M, Jeandidier N, Marchioni E, Sigrist S, Dal S.Beneficial effects of cherry consumption as a dietary intervention for metabolic, hepatic and vascular complications in type 2 diabetic rats. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 Jul 20;17(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12933-018-0744-6.Kent K, Charlton K, Roodenrys S, Batterham M, Potter J, Traynor V, Gilbert H, Morgan O, Richards R.Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. Eur J Nutr. 2017 Feb;56(1):333-341. doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-1083-y.Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779.Fonseca LRS, Silva GR, Luís Â, Cardoso HJ, Correia S, Vaz CV, Duarte AP, Socorro S.Sweet cherries as anti-cancer agents: From bioactive compounds to function. Molecules. 2021 May 15;26(10):2941. doi: 10.3390/molecules26102941.Cindy Alberts Carson.Tart cherry juice as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. doi:10.1200/jco.2016.34.3_suppl.153Amini MR, Payandeh N, Sheikhhossein F, Shahinfar H, Pourreza S, Hekmatdoost A.Effect of tart cherry juice consumption on body composition and anthropometric measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr Res. 2023 Jan 30;12(1):65-76. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2023.12.1.65.Harvard Health Publishing.The sweet danger of sugar.Reynolds A, Mitri J.Dietary advice for individuals with diabetes. MDText.com, Inc.; 2024.

16 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP.Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Aug;21(8):1035-41. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.009Moon N, Effiong L, Song L, Gardner TR, Soung DY.Tart cherry prevents bone loss through inhibition of RANKL in TNF-overexpressing mice.Nutrients. 2018;11(1):63. doi:10.3390/nu11010063Chai SC , Davis K , Wright RS , Kuczmarski MF , Zhang Z .Impact of tart cherry juice on systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct. 2018 Jun 20;9(6):3185-3194. doi: 10.1039/c8fo00468dKelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD.A review of the health benefits of cherries.Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. doi:10.3390/nu10030368McHugh MP.“Precovery” versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Jun;32(6):940-950. doi: 10.1111/sms.14141.Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, et al.Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms.Am J Ther. 2018;25(2):e194-e201. doi:10.1097/MJT.0000000000000584Juhnevica-Radenkova K, Moreno DA, Ikase L, Drudze I, Radenkovs V.Naturally occurring melatonin: Sources and possible ways of its biosynthesis.Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(6):4008-4030. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12639Van der Werf R, Walter C, Bietiger W, Seyfritz E, Mura C, Peronet C, Legrandois J, Werner D, Ennahar S, Digel F, Maillard-Pedracini E, Pinget M, Jeandidier N, Marchioni E, Sigrist S, Dal S.Beneficial effects of cherry consumption as a dietary intervention for metabolic, hepatic and vascular complications in type 2 diabetic rats. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 Jul 20;17(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12933-018-0744-6.Kent K, Charlton K, Roodenrys S, Batterham M, Potter J, Traynor V, Gilbert H, Morgan O, Richards R.Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. Eur J Nutr. 2017 Feb;56(1):333-341. doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-1083-y.Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779.Fonseca LRS, Silva GR, Luís Â, Cardoso HJ, Correia S, Vaz CV, Duarte AP, Socorro S.Sweet cherries as anti-cancer agents: From bioactive compounds to function. Molecules. 2021 May 15;26(10):2941. doi: 10.3390/molecules26102941.Cindy Alberts Carson.Tart cherry juice as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. doi:10.1200/jco.2016.34.3_suppl.153Amini MR, Payandeh N, Sheikhhossein F, Shahinfar H, Pourreza S, Hekmatdoost A.Effect of tart cherry juice consumption on body composition and anthropometric measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr Res. 2023 Jan 30;12(1):65-76. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2023.12.1.65.Harvard Health Publishing.The sweet danger of sugar.Reynolds A, Mitri J.Dietary advice for individuals with diabetes. MDText.com, Inc.; 2024.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP.Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Aug;21(8):1035-41. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.009Moon N, Effiong L, Song L, Gardner TR, Soung DY.Tart cherry prevents bone loss through inhibition of RANKL in TNF-overexpressing mice.Nutrients. 2018;11(1):63. doi:10.3390/nu11010063Chai SC , Davis K , Wright RS , Kuczmarski MF , Zhang Z .Impact of tart cherry juice on systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct. 2018 Jun 20;9(6):3185-3194. doi: 10.1039/c8fo00468dKelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD.A review of the health benefits of cherries.Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. doi:10.3390/nu10030368McHugh MP.“Precovery” versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Jun;32(6):940-950. doi: 10.1111/sms.14141.Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, et al.Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms.Am J Ther. 2018;25(2):e194-e201. doi:10.1097/MJT.0000000000000584Juhnevica-Radenkova K, Moreno DA, Ikase L, Drudze I, Radenkovs V.Naturally occurring melatonin: Sources and possible ways of its biosynthesis.Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(6):4008-4030. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12639Van der Werf R, Walter C, Bietiger W, Seyfritz E, Mura C, Peronet C, Legrandois J, Werner D, Ennahar S, Digel F, Maillard-Pedracini E, Pinget M, Jeandidier N, Marchioni E, Sigrist S, Dal S.Beneficial effects of cherry consumption as a dietary intervention for metabolic, hepatic and vascular complications in type 2 diabetic rats. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 Jul 20;17(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12933-018-0744-6.Kent K, Charlton K, Roodenrys S, Batterham M, Potter J, Traynor V, Gilbert H, Morgan O, Richards R.Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. Eur J Nutr. 2017 Feb;56(1):333-341. doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-1083-y.Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779.Fonseca LRS, Silva GR, Luís Â, Cardoso HJ, Correia S, Vaz CV, Duarte AP, Socorro S.Sweet cherries as anti-cancer agents: From bioactive compounds to function. Molecules. 2021 May 15;26(10):2941. doi: 10.3390/molecules26102941.Cindy Alberts Carson.Tart cherry juice as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. doi:10.1200/jco.2016.34.3_suppl.153Amini MR, Payandeh N, Sheikhhossein F, Shahinfar H, Pourreza S, Hekmatdoost A.Effect of tart cherry juice consumption on body composition and anthropometric measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr Res. 2023 Jan 30;12(1):65-76. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2023.12.1.65.Harvard Health Publishing.The sweet danger of sugar.Reynolds A, Mitri J.Dietary advice for individuals with diabetes. MDText.com, Inc.; 2024.

Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP.Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Aug;21(8):1035-41. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.009

Moon N, Effiong L, Song L, Gardner TR, Soung DY.Tart cherry prevents bone loss through inhibition of RANKL in TNF-overexpressing mice.Nutrients. 2018;11(1):63. doi:10.3390/nu11010063

Chai SC , Davis K , Wright RS , Kuczmarski MF , Zhang Z .Impact of tart cherry juice on systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct. 2018 Jun 20;9(6):3185-3194. doi: 10.1039/c8fo00468d

Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD.A review of the health benefits of cherries.Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. doi:10.3390/nu10030368

McHugh MP.“Precovery” versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Jun;32(6):940-950. doi: 10.1111/sms.14141.

Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757

Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, et al.Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms.Am J Ther. 2018;25(2):e194-e201. doi:10.1097/MJT.0000000000000584

Juhnevica-Radenkova K, Moreno DA, Ikase L, Drudze I, Radenkovs V.Naturally occurring melatonin: Sources and possible ways of its biosynthesis.Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(6):4008-4030. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12639

Van der Werf R, Walter C, Bietiger W, Seyfritz E, Mura C, Peronet C, Legrandois J, Werner D, Ennahar S, Digel F, Maillard-Pedracini E, Pinget M, Jeandidier N, Marchioni E, Sigrist S, Dal S.Beneficial effects of cherry consumption as a dietary intervention for metabolic, hepatic and vascular complications in type 2 diabetic rats. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 Jul 20;17(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12933-018-0744-6.

Kent K, Charlton K, Roodenrys S, Batterham M, Potter J, Traynor V, Gilbert H, Morgan O, Richards R.Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. Eur J Nutr. 2017 Feb;56(1):333-341. doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-1083-y.

Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM.Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779.

Fonseca LRS, Silva GR, Luís Â, Cardoso HJ, Correia S, Vaz CV, Duarte AP, Socorro S.Sweet cherries as anti-cancer agents: From bioactive compounds to function. Molecules. 2021 May 15;26(10):2941. doi: 10.3390/molecules26102941.

Cindy Alberts Carson.Tart cherry juice as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. doi:10.1200/jco.2016.34.3_suppl.153

Amini MR, Payandeh N, Sheikhhossein F, Shahinfar H, Pourreza S, Hekmatdoost A.Effect of tart cherry juice consumption on body composition and anthropometric measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr Res. 2023 Jan 30;12(1):65-76. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2023.12.1.65.

Harvard Health Publishing.The sweet danger of sugar.

Reynolds A, Mitri J.Dietary advice for individuals with diabetes. MDText.com, Inc.; 2024.

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