In plain terms: Montmorency Tart Cherry shows early signals in human research but the evidence is limited -- small trials, surrogate endpoints, or not yet independently replicated. It is an emerging area, not yet a proven one.
Montmorency Tart Cherry
The evidence as the record states it
Sleep. Howatson et al. (Eur J Nutr, 2012; PMID 22038497): 20 healthy adults, 7-day crossover of juice concentrate; urinary melatonin higher, actigraphic time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency higher; the authors attribute the melatonin rise to melatonin in the juice. Chung et al. (Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022; PMID 36011907): 19 elite female field hockey players over 48 hours after exhaustive exercise; actigraphic time in bed and wake after sleep onset improved, melatonin and cortisol unchanged. Losso et al. (Am J Ther, 2018; PMID 28901958): 8 completers over 50 with insomnia, polysomnographic sleep time 84 minutes longer; NIH-funded with industry co-funding reported by the review. Pigeon et al. (J Med Food, 2010; PMID 20438325): 15 older adults with insomnia, 2-week crossover; against placebo only wake after sleep onset improved, not latency, total sleep or efficiency. Tucker et al. (Nutrients, 2024; PMID 39683518): 34 adults with sleep complaints and overweight or obesity, 500 mg powder one hour before bed for 14 days, crossover; no effect on any objective or subjective sleep measure or inflammatory marker; funded by the tart cherry industry's marketing body. Hillman et al. (Nutr Health, 2026; PMID 35790450): 44 healthy adults, juice or capsules for 30 days; no difference in sleep time or quality, body composition or blood pressure. Exercise recovery. Hill et al. (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2021; PMID 33440334): meta-analysis of 14 studies, small benefit on soreness, moderate on recovery of strength and power; co-authored by Howatson, whose group ran several pooled trials. Daab et al. (Sports Med Open, 2026; PMID 41945263): 19 trials in athletes, maximal voluntary contraction recovery improved at every time point with heterogeneity of 69 to 93 percent, no pooled effect on soreness, creatine kinase or most other markers, certainty very low to moderate. Null trials: Lamb et al. (Nutrients, 2019; PMID 31337122), 36 untrained men; Abbott et al. (Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2020; PMID 31188696), 10 professional soccer players; Morehen et al. (Eur J Sport Sci, 2021; PMID 32672095), 11 professional rugby league players. Grade C for both uses: small or inconsistent randomized evidence.
Evidence by specific use
Why Grade C and not Grade B
Grade C reflects early or limited human evidence -- small trials, surrogate endpoints, or preliminary findings not yet independently replicated. The evidence points in a promising direction but does not yet meet the standard for Grade B. A single well-powered, independently replicated trial with a meaningful endpoint would move this to Grade B or higher.
What would move this grade
A well-powered randomized trial with an objective, clinically meaningful primary endpoint and at least one independent replication would support Grade B or higher.