Tart cherry
Supplement
botanical
sleepfitnessbone & joint
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Sleep and strength recovery — limited, mixed evidence
Take with
Water · recovery trials split the dose morning and evening
Studied for
Sleep studies ran 7 days–2 weeks, recovery trials 4–10 days
Pros & cons
Pros
- 3 of 7 sleep studies improved duration or efficiency
- 3 studies reported melatonin levels rose after intake
- Mvc strength recovery improved up to 96 h after damage
Cons
- Sleep evidence is limited and heterogeneous
- No pooled effect on soreness, ck, il-6 or tnf-α
- Certainty of evidence rated very low to moderate
Sources
- NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (tart or sour cherry row) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Variable results for aiding muscle strength recovery, reducing soreness … about 1/2 quart of juice or 480 mg freeze-dried Montmorency tart-cherry-skin powder per day for up to 2 weeks … No safety concerns reported for short-term use”
- The effect of tart cherry on sleep quality and sleep disorders: a systematic review (Barforoush et al., Food Science & Nutrition 2025) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Three studies reported significant improvements in sleep indicators … Three studies also reported an increase in melatonin levels … there were large differences in dose, duration of intervention … the available evidence is still limited and heterogeneous”
- Barforoush et al., Food Science & Nutrition 2025 — doses used in the included sleep studies · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“consumption of cherry juice (240 mL 2 times/day) for 2 weeks … 30 mL of tart cherry juice supplementation for 7 days … 60 mL sour cherry juice concentrate … diluted with approximately 200 mL of water”
- Effects of tart cherry juice supplementation on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Daab et al., Sports Medicine – Open 2026) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“TC juice supplementation significantly improved MVC recovery … whereas no significant pooled effects were found for muscle soreness, CK, IL-6, TNF-α, ROM … Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate”
- Daab et al., Sports Medicine – Open 2026 — dosing used in the included recovery trials · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“While an optimal dose is not yet established, studies reporting improvements in muscle performance recovery commonly employed split dosing (typically morning and evening) with servings ranging from ~30 mL of concentrate … over 4 to 10 consecutive days”
- HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [Prunus cerasus not listed in Annex A or B]”
- iHerb Singapore — Greens & Superfoods > Tart Cherry & Black Cherry category (SG$ pricing, default order) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Dynamic Health, Tart Cherry Ultra 5X Concentrate, 16 fl oz … NOW Foods, Tart Cherry, 500 mg, 90 Veg Capsules … Life Extension, Tart Cherry with CherryPURE® … Nutricost, Tart Cherry, 240 Capsules … Sports Research, Tart Cherry, Fruit Complex”
Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.