Today, an increasing number of consumers are turning to food and beverages to advance their health and wellness. To support this trend, experts highlight that quality research is helping ingredients new and old further their healthy association. For the cherry market, it remains no different.

“Over the past decade, researchers have conducted any number of studies focusing on the role Montmorency tart cherries can play in a person’s pursuit of health, from aiding in sleep quantity and quality (they’re a naturally occurring source of melatonin) to reducing inflammation,” says Lynn Vollbrecht, director of strategic marketing for the DeWitt, Mich.-based Cherry Marketing Institute.