Lemon Balm vs Tart Cherry for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, users rate them about the same: 92% report improvement with Lemon Balm (106 reports) and 94% with Tart Cherry (35 reports).
Lemon Balm has 14 meta-analyses and 28 randomized trials on PubMed; Tart Cherry has 15 and 51.
Based on 459 reports about Lemon Balm and 102 about Tart Cherry. Not medical advice.
| Lemon Balm Supplement | Tart Cherry Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 70%helped184 reports · high confidence | 75%helped45 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 14 / 28 | 15 / 51 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 92% (106) | 94% (35) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 88% (121) | 50% (2) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 93% (14) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 75% (8) | — |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | — | 100% (9) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, heart rate | headache, vivid dreams, anxiety, prolonged erection |
| Typical dose reported | 20 mg / before bed | 1000 mg / before bed |
The small number of clinical trials and differences between their methods were the limitations of the present study. Further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the lemon balm.
Phytother Res, 2021 ↗“drinking lemon balm tea has turned out to be a game changer for me when I’m sad or have anxiety (so I drink it every day now lol)”
No significant effects were observed for creatine kinase and tumor necrosis factor alpha. These results indicate that the consumption of a TC supplement can aid aspects of recovery from strenuous exercise.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2021 ↗“Tart cherry juice increases melatonin levels and is supposed to improve sleep quality. It worked surprisingly well for me when I tried it.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate