Does Tart Cherry Juice Lower Blood Pressure?

However, a 2022 analysis of 10 studies about tart cherry juice for high blood pressure revealed that daily consumption lowered fasting blood glucose levels but had zero impact on total cholesterol and blood pressure levels. 

If older adults consume tart cherry juice and see their blood pressure decrease, Benton warns that it’s important to still work with your doctor and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to support optimal readings. “A fundamental problem is the assumption that tart cherries will act like a drug or turn an otherwise poor diet into a healthy one,” he says. 

Does tart cherry juice interact with blood pressure medication?

Before you supplement or drink consistent quantities of tart cherry juice, talk to your doctor about your medications. 

Tart cherries, especially in supplement form, can interact with common blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, enalapril) and beta-blockers (bisoprolol, carvedilol). They may also affect blood thinners. 

Is tart cherry juice good for diabetes?

Research shows that fruit juice may or may not negatively affect diabetes. 

Whole fruit is rich in complex carbohydrates. Unlike simple carbohydrates, these nutrients are healthier for patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes because they keep people fuller for longer, and reducing the urge eat outside mealtimes is beneficial for the obesity component. Fruit juice, on the other hand, is higher in simple carbohydrates, and even natural sugar (fructose) could cause blood sugar spikes. One study found that middle-aged American women who regularly drank 100 percent fruit juice were more likely to receive a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. 

However, a separate meta-analysis of several studies on fruit juice found no correlation between drinking the beverage and developing the disease. 

A single serving of 100 percent tart cherry juice contains 33 grams of natural sugar (fructose). So if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, be sure to speak to your doctor and a certified nutritionist to determine whether you should try it. And be sure to avoid brands of the drink that have added sugars. 

We know that type 2 diabetes and hypertension are connected. Take the staggering number of older adults in the U.S. with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) syndrome, a condition in which type 2 diabetes often leads to vascular problems. “People with type 2 diabetes are about twice as likely to develop cardiovascular diseases,” Korat explains. “Hypertension weaves into the type 2 diabetes component.” 

Can drinking tart cherry juice help you sleep? 

Tart cherry juice has been linked to sleeping better. In some studies, it appeared to help the brain make more melatonin, a hormone that promotes restfulness and even counteracts jet lag. But you would need to eat or drink an improbable amount of the fruit to catch more Zs — 84 pounds to get half a milligram of melatonin, according to Benton. That’s far less than the average dosage of 3 to 5 milligrams. 

That doesn’t mean drinking tart cherry juice is a waste. “In America, only 8 percent of children and 27 percent of adults eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day,” Benton says. “Fruit also provides fiber, although that is present in smaller amounts in fruit juice. Having more fiber in the diet results in a healthy digestive system and a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”

The best way to make sure tart cherry juice contains the most possible fiber? Blend, blend, blend. Juicing saps more of the fiber. The result is a creamier and thicker version of tart cherry juice that’s more likely to ease constipation and other age-related gut issues. 

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Can drinking tart cherry juice prevent gout attacks? 

Some older adults swear by tart cherry juice to ease or prevent gout attacks, a severe arthritis flare-up that usually manifests as pain and swelling in one or more joints.  

A study published in Clinical Developments in Nutrition found that obese and overweight adults who regularly drank tart cherry juice had lower serum uric acid levels — a main driver of gout attacks. However, the tart cherry juice and gout connection remains hazy. A separate study examining tart cherry juice’s impact on serum uric acid levels found that it did not have any benefit on reducing gout flares over the 28-day study period.  

Side effects you should know 

The most common side effects of consuming tart cherries in any form is diarrhea, upset stomach, bright yellow urine and darker stools.

Older adults with kidney disease should take caution, too. Fruit juice is high in potassium, and weaker kidneys can’t effectively filter out excess nutrients from the blood. Hyperkalemia, or elevated potassium in the blood, can trigger muscle weakness and heart issues.