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Cherry juice can help the elderly to normalize sleep
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Cherry juice can help elderly people cope with insomnia, this is the conclusion reached by specialists from one of the universities in the United States. As is known, many elderly people suffer from various types of sleep disorders, but taking sleeping pills can be dangerous at this age. Drinking sour or tart cherry juice (one glass twice a day - morning and evening) will help elderly people cope with insomnia. During the study, scientists found that after two weeks of drinking cherry juice, elderly patients who previously suffered from insomnia had an increase in sleep duration by one and a half hours. According to specialists, the use of special drugs to normalize sleep is acceptable at a young age, but for elderly people it can be dangerous to health. Insomnia drugs in the elderly increase the risk of falls, which threatens fractures and even death, while cherry juice is a natural and safe way to solve sleep problems.
Experts studied the effect of tart cherry juice, which is grown mainly in the United States, France, and Canada, on the body. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, was found in tart cherry juice. In addition to melatonin, tryptophan, essential amino acids, and a serotonin precursor were found in the juice, which in combination normalize sleep. Despite the fact that a small amount of tryptophan was found in cherry juice, it does not allow the compound to break down, which increases its effectiveness. As a result, the compounds contained in cherry juice increase the bioavailability of tryptophan, which is important for the synthesis of serotonin. As a result, it turns out that tryptophan and melatonin in combination help regulate sleep patterns.
Previously, American neurologists discovered a unique system that occurs in our brain. As it turned out, there is a "switch" in the brain that sends a person to the kingdom of Morpheus.
Scientists have conducted a study on fruit flies (which is also relevant for humans), as a result they have discovered that there is a certain area in the brain that controls the time of wakefulness and from this area a signal is sent that rest is needed. In the case when a person does not sleep for too long, nerve cells in the body are activated, causing drowsiness. These cells begin to send signals in case of fatigue of the body. When the body is rested, the activity of the cells decreases. This discovery allows to develop more effective drugs for insomnia.
Humans and fruit flies have a cluster of similar cells in their brains. It should be noted that these cells remain active during sleep. The cells work like a thermostat, which measures the temperature and turns on the heating mode if necessary. The cells in the brain measure the body's wakefulness time, and if the maximum permissible limit is exceeded, the cells trigger a mechanism that makes a person want to sleep.
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