Cherry juice may help cure insomnia: study

Psychiatrist Dr Wilfred Pigeon,who led the study,said the cherry juice effect could be due to the fruit’s high content of melatonin — the hormone that regulates the body’s

sleep-wake cycle,the Daily Mail reported.

Curing insomnia has become one of the biggest health challenges of the modern age. About one in four adults suffer from it and a fifth regularly get fewer than five hours’ sleep a night.

For their study,the researchers analysed sleeping patterns of participants on two phases. During the first,the volunteers drank cherry juice every morning and evening,and in the second trial,they were given a comparable fruit juice.

They found that the cherry juice led to an average of 17 minutes more sleep.

Dr Pigeon said: “Given the side-effects of some medications,it is encouraging to have a natural alternative.” Melatonin expert Dr Russel Reiter,of the University of Texas,said foods such as cherries may be a better alternative to boost the body’s supply than supplements.

The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.