Brian Fairchild 
Headlines have linked tart cherry juice and blood pressure for years, largely due to one frequently cited 2016 study. The full picture is more complicated than most of those headlines suggest, and more interesting. That’s a separate question from tart cherry juice’s reputation as a sleep aid. We cover that topic in our earlier post on tart cherry juice and sleep. The same plant compounds are behind both claims, but the blood pressure evidence deserves its own look.
Tart Cherry Juice and Blood Pressure: The Study Behind the Headlines
Most tart cherry and blood pressure claims trace back to a 2016 trial from Northumbria University. Researchers gave 15 men with early hypertension a single 60 mL dose of Montmorency tart cherry concentrate. They compared the results to a placebo drink. Systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 7 mmHg two hours after the cherry drink, compared to placebo.
The lead researcher described the effect as comparable to a single anti-hypertensive drug. That comparison went on to power years of headlines. But it describes one small, short-term study, not tart cherry juice’s overall effect.
The design matters here. This was a single dose, not daily drinking. The sample was 15 men, all with early-stage hypertension. Nobody has shown the same acute effect in women or in people with normal blood pressure.
What Longer-Term Studies Found
Two later trials tested what happens with regular, daily tart cherry juice, rather than a single dose.
A 2018 trial from the University of Delaware recruited 37 adults ages 65 to 80. They drank 16 ounces of tart cherry juice daily for 12 weeks. By the end, systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol were both lower than in the control group.
A 2021 trial from Northumbria University tested a smaller daily dose in 50 middle-aged adults over three months. That dose was 30 mL twice a day. This time, blood pressure and vascular function showed no significant change.
Put together, these two trials point to something specific. The effect may depend on who’s drinking it. Older adults with more room to improve may respond differently than healthy, middle-aged adults.
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What the Best Current Evidence Shows
The most useful single source isn’t any individual trial. It’s a 2023 meta-analysis that pooled 21 randomized controlled trials on tart cherry and cardiovascular markers.
Across all 21 trials combined, tart cherry did not produce a statistically significant change in blood pressure or heart rate. It did modestly reduce inflammatory markers, including CRP and TNF-alpha.
That’s a meaningfully different conclusion than the 2016 headline suggested. The evidence for tart cherry’s inflammation-lowering effect is more consistent than its evidence for blood pressure specifically.
The Mechanism: Anthocyanins, Quercetin, and Nitric Oxide
The proposed mechanism is genuinely plausible, even where the clinical results are mixed. Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanins and quercetin, plant compounds that influence how blood vessels function.
Research shows anthocyanins can increase nitric oxide production in the endothelium, the thin lining inside blood vessels. Nitric oxide signals blood vessels to relax and widen, which can lower blood pressure when the pathway works as intended.
Cell studies establish this mechanism clearly. It’s less clear whether the effect reliably translates into a meaningful blood pressure drop outside a lab. Regular dietary intake also differs a lot from the concentrated single dose most trials use.
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Should You Drink Tart Cherry Juice for Blood Pressure?
Tart cherry juice is not a proven blood pressure treatment, but it’s also not without merit. The current evidence supports a reasonable, food-based addition to a heart-healthy diet. It’s not a replacement for anything your doctor has prescribed.
A few things are worth knowing before adding it to your routine. Commercial tart cherry juice can carry a meaningful amount of sugar, so unsweetened or diluted versions are the better choice. The 12-week trial that worked used a substantial daily volume, 16 ounces, more than most people would casually drink.
For dietary strategies with stronger evidence behind them, see our guide to foods that support healthy blood pressure. Day-to-day stress also remains one of the better-supported levers for blood pressure. See our post on how stress affects blood pressure for more.
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