Cherry juice holds key to sleep?

22-07-2010

Cherry juice could be the key to a good night’s sleep, a new US study has found. According to researchers from the University of Rochester in New York, drinking a glass of the unsweetened juice in the morning and evening can result in longer sleep. The high melatonin content of cherry juice is thought to be behind the effect, as the hormone plays a significant role in regulating the body’s cycle of sleeping and waking.

In the investigation, participants were given cherry juice in the morning and evening during the first stage of the study, then another fruit juice at the same times in the second stage. The results showed that during the cherry juice phase the participants slept on average seventeen minutes longer each night, compared to when drinking other fruit juice.

“Given the side effects of some medications, it is encouraging to have a natural alternative,” said Dr. Wilfred Pigeon, leader of the research.

The results of the research were published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

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