Cherry

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Blood pressure²

  In people, cherry juice was linked to lower blood pressure, but scientists say more research is needed.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood health³

  Human studies suggest eating cherries may lower blood pressure and inflammation, but scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Open question

  Muscle recovery after exercise⁴

  Cherries may help muscles recover and ease soreness after exercise, though they might also blunt some training gains.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure and inflammation⁵

  In people, tart cherry didn't change blood pressure or heart rate, but may slightly lower some inflammation markers.

• Open question

  Body inflammation⁶

  In people, tart cherry lowered one inflammation marker, CRP, but not two others, IL-6 and TNF-α.

• Benefit

  Uric acid and inflammation⁷

  In people, four weeks of daily tart cherry extract lowered uric acid and inflammation markers.

• Open question

  Blood levels after eating⁹

  In people, tart cherry compounds showed up in the blood, but what they do for health is not clear.

• Benefit

  Bone loss in older women¹⁰

  In older women, drinking tart cherry juice twice daily reduced a marker of bone breakdown, but once daily did not.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure and cholesterol¹¹

  People with metabolic syndrome who drank Montmorency tart cherry juice for a week had lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Heart health¹²

  Studies suggest cherries and berries may lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol, but the right amount is unclear.

• Benefit

  Fighting inflammation in the body¹³

  Cherries contain phenolics that may help fight oxidative stress and inflammation, but scientists still need human studies.

How it’s made and used

• Gut bacteria balance⁸

  In people, drinking dark sweet cherry juice changed the mix of gut bacteria, but not gut leakiness.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.