Black Cherry

What Is Black Cherry?

Black cherries, also known as wild cherries, are common ingredients in many foods and drinks. There are two basic types of black cherry supplements. One comes from the fruit, like black cherry juice concentrates, while the other is from the bark of the tree. 

Drinking black cherry juice is a delicious way to stay hydrated. It also gives you some health-boosting nutrients.

Black cherry has long been used for timber and furniture, and also medicinally. Native Americans throughout North and Central America consumed the bark and the fruit to treat cough and cold symptoms.

Today, people drink black cherry juice as a medicinal supplement. You'll see it most often as an herbal supplement in health food stores, but you can enjoy it as a refreshing beverage anytime.

Black Cherry Benefits

Cherries may have antioxidant properties. In lab studies, antioxidants appear to protect cells from damage that leads to disease, including the formation of plaques in arteries. But it’s not clear yet if antioxidants have a health benefit in people.

Cherries also have a good amount of other polyphenols like p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin. Polyphenols help with easing inflammation, supporting brain function, and improving memory and learning.

A combination of anthocyanins, quercetin, and other nutrients in black cherries help to reduce inflammation, especially inflammation related to arthritis and gout. These phytochemicals also work to lower uric acid levels in the body, reducing your risk of painful gout attacks and stiff joints.

Melatonin is a natural hormone your body makes to regulate your sleeping and waking cycles. Too little melatonin can cause restless nights and daytime drowsiness, putting your cycles out of alignment. Cherries and cherry juice contain natural melatonin, which can help you sleep better.

One small study found that people who drank cherry juice – from a blend of different cherries – had less muscle damage as a result of exercise. More research is needed to confirm a benefit, though. Cherry juice blends may help with insomnia, possibly as well as valerian.

There’s some evidence that black cherry bark may work as a cough suppressant. Interestingly, it may be the plant’s cyanogenic glycosides (compounds that are toxic in high doses) that help decrease the cough mechanism. This shows the importance of using such botanical medicines under the guidance of a health professional. It’s a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough medicines. Black cherry bark also seems to have a sedative effect.

Black cherry bark has been used to treat many other conditions, including colds, digestive problems, and pain. For colds, the bark seems to work as an astringent, drying up secretions and mucus. But for now, there’s no good evidence to support these uses.