Which Foods Naturally Contain Melatonin? A Scoping Review of 19 Studies
TL;DR
Tart cherries, kiwifruit, and tomatoes naturally contain melatonin. Regular consumption can improve sleep quality with mild effects and fewer side effects, ideal for mild sleep issues.
Research Background
"Drink warm milk before bed to help you sleep" — this kind of traditional wisdom has been passed down for generations. But scientifically, which foods actually have sleep-promoting effects? The key clue centers on a critical molecule: melatonin.
Melatonin is an endogenous hormone secreted by the pineal gland at night, telling the body "it's time to sleep." Beyond internal synthesis, certain foods also naturally contain melatonin. Published in Food Science & Nutrition in 2026, this scoping review by Nisar et al. is the first to systematically assess the evidence on melatonin-containing foods and sleep.
The authors searched four major databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science), ultimately including 19 articles (14 interventional trials + 5 cross-sectional studies), evaluated using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools. This represents the most comprehensive overview to date of natural food melatonin and its effects on sleep.
Key Findings
1. Foods Highest in Melatonin
| Food | Melatonin Content | Evidence Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Montmorency tart cherries | 6-15 ng/mL juice | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (strongest) |
| Jerte Valley cherries | 5-10 ng/g | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Kiwifruit | 0.02-0.2 ng/g | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Tomatoes (specific varieties) | 0.1-0.7 ng/g | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Walnuts | 2-4 ng/g | ⭐⭐ |
| Strawberries | 0.1-0.5 ng/g | ⭐⭐ |
| Grapes | 0.01-0.1 ng/g | ⭐ |
| Milk | Trace | ⭐ |
2. Evidence for Sleep Improvement
Tart cherry juice: 4 RCTs showed that consuming 200-300ml before bed can:
- Extend total sleep time by 34-84 minutes
- Improve sleep efficiency by 5-6%
- Reduce nighttime awakenings
- Improve subjective sleep quality scores
Kiwifruit: 2 RCTs showed that eating 2 kiwifruits 1 hour before bed can:
- Reduce sleep onset latency by ~35%
- Increase total sleep time by ~13%
- Improve sleep efficiency
Tomato juice: 1 study found improved sleep latency after consuming tomato juice before bed.
3. Effect Variations Across Populations
- Individuals with sleep problems: Most significant effects (those with poor sleep benefit most)
- Healthy sleepers: Mild or no significant improvement
- Older adults: Helpful for mild sleep issues (endogenous melatonin naturally declines with age)
- Children: Preliminary supportive evidence but limited studies
4. Mechanisms of Action
Food melatonin works through multiple pathways:
- Direct pathway: Activates MT1/MT2 receptors to promote sleep
- Indirect pathway: Antioxidants (e.g., anthocyanins in cherries) reduce oxidative stress, improving sleep quality
- Circadian regulation: Low-dose melatonin helps calibrate circadian phase
What This Means
"Sleep-promoting foods" are not pseudoscience — specific foods contain compounds that can influence sleep through biochemical pathways.
The advantage of food melatonin lies in its gentleness — unlike supplements, food-sourced melatonin has low doses, low risk of tolerance or dependence, and is suitable for long-term use.
This approach is best for mild sleep issues — for chronic severe insomnia, food melatonin alone is likely insufficient; more systematic intervention (like CBT-I) is needed.
Food is nature's melatonin delivery system — other compounds in food (fiber, antioxidants, vitamins) may synergistically enhance melatonin's effects.
Practical Recommendations
- Best sleep food combo: 30-60 min before bed, drink 200ml tart cherry juice + eat 1 kiwifruit
- Alternative: A glass of tomato juice + a handful of walnuts before bed
- Watch sugar content: Commercial cherry juice often has added sugar; choose unsweetened varieties
- Long-term commitment: Food melatonin doesn't work instantly; commit to at least 2 weeks
- Don't overexpect: Limited effects in healthy people, but potentially significant help for those with poor sleep
Study Limitations
- Significant methodological heterogeneity among included studies (different doses, intervention durations, participant characteristics)
- Most studies had small sample sizes (10-40 participants)
- Lack of individual difference analysis for melatonin bioavailability
- Most evidence concentrated on tart cherries; other foods have limited data
- Long-term (>6 months) efficacy and safety data are lacking