CherryActive Concentrate has been used in our house for a while now, but mostly by Mr BB – not me! I am blessed, for the most part, with the capability to sleep at almost the drop of a hat. And, once asleep, I am able to stay asleep till it’s time to wake up. When I’m stressed out, I’m usually so exhausted that it still doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, it’s more the witching hour waking up I suffer with. And before the clocks go forward in Spring, I’ve noticed the light waking me up just a little bit too early for my liking.

I am blessed, for the most part, with the capability to sleep at almost the drop of a hat. And, once asleep, I am able to stay asleep till it’s time to wake up. When I’m stressed out, I’m usually so exhausted that it still doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, it’s more the witching hour waking up I suffer with. And before the clocks go forward in Spring, I’ve noticed the light waking me up just a little bit too early for my liking.

Mr BB on the other hand, has been an insomniac since childhood. He doesn’t do himself any favours whatsoever though; not “unplugging” till really late, eating late, eating large meals at night, smoking, working late, not going to bed at a regular time, the list goes on! The problem is I think he’s defeated and thinks no matter what he does nothing will change his condition. But I believe that little changes over a long period of time will make a difference. You’re not going to see a change overnight – pardon the pun! We’re currently eyeing up a Thync which seems to be the only thing Mr BB will put his faith in. Watch this space for an update soon!

Something that Mr BB has used is CherryActive Concentrate for sleep help. Montmorency cherries, or tart cherries, are one of only a few food sources of melatonin, a potent antioxidant which helps improve the body’s circadian rhythm and sleep patterns (Burkhardt, 2001).

It is an all natural sleep aid, proven to help adults achieve a better night’s sleep:

• Researchers from Louisiana State University have found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks helped increase sleep time by nearly 90 minutes among adults with insomnia.
• These are better than the results found with any sleeping pill.
• The Montmorency cherry is especially high in melatonin, which is the natural sleep hormone the brain produces to maintain sleep. Studies also suggest that melatonin may help protect the vascular system, lessen inflammation, and reduce ischemia and reperfusion injury associated with surgery (Tan 2000, 2003, Cuzzocrea 2001, Lissoni 1997, Reiter 2001, 2000)

But the Montmorency cherries in CherryActive Concentrate are more than a one-trick pony:

• they contain ellagic acid; one study found that as the presence of ellagic acid increased, the rate of cancer cell growth decreased (Ross 2007)
• elevated levels of uric acid are associated with the onset and progression of gout. Researchers found that when healthy women, aged 20-40 years consumer 280g of cherries after an overnight fast, uric acid levels were reduced by 15% (Jacob 2003)
• consumption of Montmorency cherries may be beneficial for the management and prevention of inflammatory diseases (Kelley 2006, van Acker 1995), including inflammatory pain like osteoarthritis
• a Korean study found that cherry phenolics protected brain neurons from oxidative damage, primarily due to the amount of anthocyanins found in the fruit (Kim 2005)
• consumption of cherries might be useful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes (Jayaprakasam 2005)
• a German study showed consumption of polyphenol-rich juices, such as Montmorency cherry juice, reduced oxidative DNA damage and stimulated immune cell function (Bub 2003)
• several studies have shown that athletes can decrease symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage, improve their muscle recovery rates and protect against inflammation and soreness through using Montmorency cherry juice

CherryActive Concentrate is available from hollandandbarett.com RRP £9.29