- It revealed patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis who drank 130ml of diluted Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for six weeks saw their faecal calprotectin levels (a key gut inflammation biomarker) drop by 40%
- Patients also reported a 9% improvement in health-related quality of life consuming cherry juice while receiving standard medication treatment
- The findings highlight the potential benefits of using cherry juice - which is rich in a nutrient known as anthocyanin - alongside traditional pharmaceutical treatments
Drinking two small glasses of cherry juice a day may reduce gut inflammation and boost quality of life in bowel disease patients, a new study shows.
The largest human trial of its kind, jointly led by the universities of Hertfordshire and Central Lancashire, found consuming 130ml of diluted Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for six weeks reduced gut inflammation markers in people with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis by 40%.
Participants also reported a 9% improvement in health-related quality of life when taking the fruit drink supplement while receiving standard medication treatment.
Study co-author Lindsay Bottoms, Professor in Exercise and Health Sciences and Head of Centre for Research in Psychology and Sports at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Ulcerative colitis can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life, with many patients requiring regular visits to the hospital for blood tests and treatment, and in some cases, surgery.
"While cherry juice cannot replace medicine, our findings offer hope that it could be used alongside pharmaceutical treatments to help improve a patient’s quality of life and reduce symptoms ..."
— Study co-author Lindsay Bottoms, Professor in Exercise and Health Sciences and Head of Centre for Research in Psychology and Sports at the University of Hertfordshire
“While cherry juice cannot replace medicine, our findings offer hope that it could be used alongside pharmaceutical treatments to help improve a patient’s quality of life and reduce symptoms and, possibly, even help in delaying further intensive medical treatment or surgery.”
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting nearly 300,000 people in the UK, and can cause severe symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, and recurrent diarrhoea. While medications such as anti-inflammatories, steroids or immunosuppressants are the standard treatment, these do not work for all patients and can have significant side effects. Some require more advanced treatments like biologic infusions or even surgery.
Figures compiled by the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK suggest around seven in 100 people with colitis will need major surgery in the first five years after diagnosis.
Meanwhile, estimates suggest that the financial impact of treating ulcerative colitis in the UK exceeds £720 million annually.
Montmorency tart cherries are rich in a nutrient known as anthocyanin, a natural compound that gives the fruit its distinctive red colour and sour-sweet taste and can also be found in dark-coloured fruit and vegetables such as blackberries, blood oranges and aubergine.
Previous analysis has shown 30 ml of Montmorency tart cherry concentrate contains 9.117 mg/ml of anthocyanins, which is equivalent to eating about 100 cherries.
"Montmorency tart cherries have greater anthocyanin levels than most other dark fruits, so we wanted to investigate if cherry juice supplementation had any clinical benefit in patients with mild-to-moderate colitis."
— Study co-author Lindsay Bottoms, Professor in Exercise and Health Sciences and Head of Centre for Research in Psychology and Sports at the University of Hertfordshire
Professor Bottoms said: “Ulcerative colitis can negatively impact a patient’s mental health, body image, and overall quality of life. The debilitating condition also comes with an associated financial burden, underscoring the need for alternative treatment approaches with fewer side effects, alongside pharmaceutical interventions.
“Montmorency tart cherries have greater anthocyanin levels than most other dark fruits, so we wanted to investigate if cherry juice supplementation had any clinical benefit in patients with mild-to-moderate colitis.”
For the study, the researchers randomly assigned 35 ulcerative colitis patients aged between 18 to 65 to receive either a 130ml Montmorency tart cherry beverage - made using 100 ml of water and 30 ml of concentrated juice - or a dummy drink with a similar taste, colour and consistency.
The trial was single blind, meaning only the researchers knew who was receiving the real supplement or placebo, which they consumed twice a day for six weeks.
Participants needed a confirmed ulcerative colitis diagnosis for at least six months and had to be on consistent medication for at least three months.
Those allergic to cherries or who had other diseases such as diabetes, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, as well as infections such as Hepatitis B and C infections were excluded.
Patients’ quality of life as well as physical health, mental health and disease symptoms were measured using a variety of standardised questionnaires, including the Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (IBDQ), which looked at self-reported symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
"... it is really notable that our findings show Montmorency tart cherry juice supplementation produced significant improvements in both quality of life and gut inflammation. "
— First author Dr Jonathan Sinclair, Reader in Sport Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire
Their blood and stool samples were also analysed and study volunteers were also asked to keep a food diary to evaluate whether they had made any dietary changes that could influence study outcomes.
Professor Bottoms said: “We are really excited by the findings that cherry juice supplementation improved the health-related quality of life of the participants by about 9%, which suggests it may help improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
“While we did not see any notable changes in blood samples, we did find a significant reduction in faecal calprotectin levels - a key gut inflammation biomarker - by 40%, which indicates the supplement has an impact on inflammation at the intestinal level.”
First author Dr Jonathan Sinclair, Reader in Sport Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Health, Social Work and Sport, said: “Ulcerative colitis is well known for its profound negative effect on patients' quality of life, mental health, and body image.
"In the next phase of our research, we are eager to investigate its effects in Crohn’s disease, further exploring its role in managing inflammatory bowel disease and improving patient outcomes."
— First author Dr Jonathan Sinclair, Reader in Sport Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire
“Therefore, it is really notable that our findings show Montmorency tart cherry juice supplementation produced significant improvements in both quality of life and gut inflammation.
“This highlights its potential benefits alongside traditional pharmaceutical treatments; as well as demonstrating the value of natural supplementation in the management of inflammatory bowel disease.
“In the next phase of our research, we are eager to investigate its effects in Crohn’s disease, further exploring its role in managing inflammatory bowel disease and improving patient outcomes.”
The study, published in the journal Life, was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute, a not-for-profit organisation that represents US growers while the Montmorency tart cherries were provided by King Orchards. Neither had any influence in the study design and outcome.
Commenting on the study, Dr Yarunnessa Khan, Senior Research Strategy Lead at Crohn's & Colitis UK, said: "Being told you have ulcerative colitis is life-changing and one of the things we hear most from members of our community is just how hard the unpredictability is.
“The more we can understand about inflammatory bowel disease, the better - so research that helps empower people to live better lives is a real positive.
“We are excited to see what comes of the next phase of this study."
Download the report, Health benefits of Montmorency tart cherry juice supplementation in adults with mild to moderate Ulcerative Colitis; A placebo randomized controlled trial, from Life Journal.