Sleep issues have you restless? Try Tart Cherry Juice for Insomnia Relief

With the busy schedules we face on a daily basis, finding time to sleep the proper amount of time can be difficult.  Taking naps could be an option, but even that is tough, without or without children.  Now take it a step further: insomnia.  Being tired and not being able to sleep is the worst.  There are times that my mind can't rest because it is thinking of tomorrow, or what I need to do for my week, wether it be personally or for business.  Bottom line: I don't get much sleep either.  

One remedy, melatonin, works for me but I think if I take the supplement too late in the evening, I have a hard time getting up the next morning.  I have another remedy, natural tart cherry juice.  Organic Montmorency tart cherry Juice is made from 100 percent pure cherries grown on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, where they are washed, hand sorted and pressed using no pressing aids or chemical enzymes. Potent in antioxidants known as anthocyanins, that promote healthy circulation, stimulate proper nerve function and possess cancer-inhibiting properties, cherry juice is also helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and protecting against muscle damage caused by excessive exercising.

A small study from Louisiana State University suggests that 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice ingested twice daily may help older-adult insomniacs sleep better at night.  The researchers, who presented their findings at the Experimental Biology 2014 meeting in San Diego at the end of April, showed that older-adult subjects with insomnia who drank tart cherry juice both morning and evening over a 2-week period, increased their sleep time by nearly 90 minutes.

Study Details
In a randomized crossover clinical trial, seven older adults (average age, 63) with insomnia consumed 8 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily for 2 weeks and then, following a 2-week washout period, consumed a placebo beverage twice daily for a second 2-week period.
Subjects’ sleep was studied in a controlled setting, using overnight polysomnography to evaluate sleep efficiency, such as onset and duration of sleep. Participants completed questionnaires related to sleep, fatigue, depression and anxiety and submitted blood work.

When subjects drank the Montmorency tart cherry juice in the morning and evening, they were able to sleep more than an hour longer each night (averaging 84 minutes) than they did when taking the placebo, and sleep also tended to be more efficient.  The scientists pointed out in a press release that Montmorency tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The belief is that Montmorency cherries have sleep-enhancing benefits; in turn, studies were performed to understand if the benefits were due to the melatonin content or to another component in the juice.

They concluded the ruby-red pigments in the juice, known as proanthocyanidins, specifically  abundant in Montmorency tart cherries, play a large role. In the study, tart cherry juice helped to increase the availability of tryptophan, an essential amino acid and a serotonin precursor that helps with sleep.

Note
Tart cherry juice contains about 130 calories per 8 ounces, so if you decide to add this regimen to your diet, be sure to account for the extra 260 liquid calories per day.

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

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