Cherry juice; a natural cure for insomnia

According to researchers, the tasty, non-addictive cherry juice could be the natural cure for insomnia, a major health problem affecting people worldwide that destroys the quality of life and leads to depression and hypertension.
Psychiatrist Dr Wilfred Pigeon, from the University of Rochester in New York, who led the study stated, “This trial suggests CherryPharm, a natural juice, improves sleep in individuals with insomnia. Given the side-effects of some medications, it is encouraging to have a natural alternative.”

Details of the study
In order to evaluate the benefits of cherry juice for a good nights sleep the researchers analyzed the sleep patterns of 15 elderly adults with chronic insomnia.

The volunteers were put through two routines for a period of four weeks.

As a part of the first routine, the subjects were made to drink unsweetened cherry juice first thing in the morning and again before retiring to bed for two weeks.

This was followed by the second routine, which lasted for another two weeks, during which they were given an alternative juice drink.

All the participants were asked to keep a sleep diary to record their sleep patterns.

The researchers used the entries to assess sleep continuity, sleep onset, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time and sleep efficiency with the help of the insomnia severity index.

Observations by the researchers
It was noted that after drinking cherry juice, participants slept better, experienced less sleeplessness and also enjoyed around 17 more minutes of sleep time.

Experts theorize that the benefits in the sleep patterns may be due to the fruit's high content of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle.

According to Dr Russel J. Reiter, a biomedical scientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center, though melatonin supplements are promoted as a sleep aid, cherries may be better option for enhancing the body’s own supply of the chemical.

He explained, "When consumed regularly, tart cherries may help regulate the body's natural sleep cycle and increase sleep efficiency, including decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep.

"And, because cherries are so rich in other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, you get other important health benefits."

The findings of study are published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

Benefits of cherries
Cherries contain a compound called anthocyanins which gives them their rich red color and is believed to help relieve inflammation in the body.

Cherry juice is also known to be a good remedy in relieving pain associated with arthritis. The anthocyanins in cherries offer ten times the pain-relieving equivalent of an aspirin.

Researchers have also found that anthocyanins are strong fighters against cancer, stroke risk and heart attacks.