#insomnia - natural treatment with tart cherry juice.

According to the CDC insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. The CDC warns that people who are struggling with sleep deficiencies are at risk for serious, debilitating, chronic diseases and even death from: "hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity." The CDC estimates that approximately 50 to 70 million US adults suffer from some form of sleep disorder.

Tart Cherry Juice for Insomnia

New research from Louisiana State University revealed that consuming Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day increased sleeping time for adults with insomnia by 1.5 hours. The researchers discovered that the study participants who drank two glasses of Montmorency tart cherry juice daily, one in the morning and one glass in the evening were able to sleep more than an hour longer each night (averaging 84 minutes) compared to the placebo, and their sleep tended to be more efficient.

Montmorency cherries are rich in melatonin a hormone made by the pineal gland housed in the brain. Melatonin's primary function is to regulate sleep-wake cycles via light and darkness signaling. Low levels of melatonin can cause sleeping difficulties for some.

A recent in-vitro study described that cherry juice inhibited the enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase, which delays the degradation of the essential amino acid tryptophan that acts as a precursor to serotonin and facilitates sleep.These compounds may help to improve tryptophan bioavailability for serotonin synthesis, which could have a positive effect on sleep. Increasing serotonin also helps improve mood and decrease inflammation.

Synthetic melatonin and sleeping pills dangers

Most health conscious consumers do not realize that supplemental melatonin is a synthetic hormone that carries a full array of not only mildly unpleasant side-effects like grogginess upon awakening or dizziness,  but also potentially lethal side effects, like inhibited thyroid function and vasoconstriction of the brain, organs, and heart and more. Besides, there simply is no solid scientific evidence to support melatonin's effectiveness for treating insomnia.

On the other hand, sleeping pills can be extremely dangerous and could even hasten an early death from cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses.