Schisandra
Also sold as: Schisandra chinensis · Five-flavor berry · Schisandra berry
A lignan-containing berry marketed for stress, fatigue and liver support. Human evidence for the single herb is sparse, while drug-metabolism interactions can be clinically important.
Energy Anxiety Focus
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Research
- Focus: Single-herb cognitive benefit is unestablished; animal studies and mixed-product findings cannot isolate it.
- Anxiety: Standalone human stress/anxiety efficacy is unestablished; much clinical evidence uses ADAPT-232 mixtures.
- Energy: One small placebo-controlled trial in adult women suggests quadriceps strength/fatigue benefits; not a general endurance claim.
REALITY CHECK // ADAPT-232 contains several herbs, so its stress, attention and recovery findings cannot be assigned to a schisandra-only capsule. Liver-regeneration and memory claims rely mainly on models; interaction risk is more concrete, especially Wuzhi with tacrolimus.
Levels: how we grade evidence. Grey = evidence of no benefit; amber = evidence it makes this goal worse.
Ratings are self-reported by a self-selected group of users: how it felt, not proof that it works.
Check your bottle
Compare what your label says with what was used in trials. This is a trial range, not a personal prescription.
Enter the amount from your label to see the result.
How it was studied
UPPER LIMIT // No established numerical EFSA/NIH UL is supplied for Schisandra. No trial dose ceiling or traditional use is a validated safety limit.
Summary
The most specific single-herb human signals are small trials in adult women for muscle function and menopausal symptoms. Stronger-looking adaptogen trials involve mixtures. Liver and neuroprotective claims are mainly preclinical or concern pharmaceutical derivatives.
Mechanism
Lignans affect stress-response and antioxidant pathways in models; NPY/Hsp72 and HPA-axis hypotheses do not establish human cortisol lowering. CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein modulation can alter drug exposure, particularly with S. sphenanthera/Wuzhi preparations.
Typical studied dose
The extracted dossier does not provide exact preparation-specific human dose ranges for the muscle or menopause trials. Trial comparison is unavailable until those ranges and lignan specifications are checked. Berry powder, tincture and standardized extracts are not interchangeable.
Upper limit
No established numerical EFSA/NIH UL is supplied for Schisandra. No trial dose ceiling or traditional use is a validated safety limit.
Popular stacks with Schisandra
Not enough stack data yet. A combination with Schisandra appears here once 5 people rate the same set.
Forms and label traps
| Form on label | Active content | Studied range / day | Absorption & GI tolerance | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole dried berry / berry powder Best for: Identifying traditional whole-fruit products. |
Unstandardized: active content unknown | no comparable trial range | Variable lignans; comparative human absorption is not established. Acidic/astringent; possible heartburn. |
Caution CHECK PREPARATION No declared extract ratio or trial range; do not invent a conversion. |
| Lignan-standardized extract / Wuzhi-type preparation Best for: Reading species and lignan specifications. |
Unstandardized: active content unknown | no comparable trial range | Concentrated lignans can increase drug-interaction potential. Usually tolerated but preparation and dose matter. |
Caution CHECK PREPARATION |
| Alcohol tincture Best for: Recognizing liquid labels without verified mass equivalence. |
Unstandardized: active content unknown | no comparable trial range | Alcohol extracts lignans but does not establish capsule equivalence. Alcohol and acidity may be relevant. |
Caution CHECK PREPARATION No mL-to-mg or dry-herb ratio supplied; calculator unavailable. |
Common label traps
- TRAP_01 // It lowers cortisol in everyone
No single-herb human cortisol RCT is established in this dossier. - TRAP_02 // It regenerates the liver
Animal liver-injury models and derivative medicines cannot prove a berry supplement repairs a human liver. - TRAP_03 // Natural means no interactions
Wuzhi-tacrolimus human pharmacokinetic findings directly contradict this assumption.
Other outcomes studied
Outside the five leaderboard goals. Same evidence levels as above.
- liver_protection No established evidence
Human single-supplement benefit is unestablished; liver-injury meta-analysis is preclinical and bicyclol is a derivative medicine.
PMID 40832608 PMID 33383448 - menopausal_symptoms Limited · benefit
One small placebo-controlled RCT suggests improvement in menopausal symptoms; not equivalent to hormone therapy.
PMID 27763802 - adapt232_mixture Limited · benefit
Human pneumonia/long-COVID recovery and stress/attention signals belong to a multi-herb mixture, not isolated schisandra.
PMID 16323290 PMID 35337143 PMID 23272529 - depression No established evidence
Single-herb antidepressant efficacy is unestablished in humans; the cited signal is from stressed mice, not a negative human RCT.
PMID 28761074 - neuroprotection No established evidence
Lignan cognitive/neuroprotective findings are mainly in rodents; human single-herb benefit remains unestablished.
PMID 29136774 PMID 27035824 PMID 26847610 PMID 41510771
Reader questions
What dose of tincture equals a capsule?
No reliable conversion is supplied. Species, extraction ratio, solvent and lignan content are required; do not guess from mL alone.
Can I combine it with medicines?
Obtain a medication review. Tacrolimus interaction is documented; CYP3A4/P-gp effects make a blanket compatibility claim unsafe.
Does it help brain fog or depression?
The single-herb human evidence is insufficient. Mixture trials and mouse results do not establish treatment of a mood disorder.
Stack interactions
- Danger Tacrolimus / transplant medicines [AVOID // HIGH-RISK]
Human Wuzhi pharmacokinetic evidence shows a clinically important exposure interaction; no unsupervised combination.
PMID 35180322 PMID 36297591 - Caution CYP3A4 substrates, including bosutinib [CAUTION // CONTEXT]
Modeling and in vitro evidence suggest interaction potential; magnitude and direction can vary by preparation/time.
PMID 32250458 - Caution Caffeine / other adaptogens [CAUTION // CONTEXT]
Perceived overstimulation or sleep disruption is anecdotal; neither synergy nor a universal adverse interaction is established.
Red flags: interactions and who should avoid it
Interactions
Wuzhi preparations can substantially alter tacrolimus exposure, documented in healthy volunteers. Other CYP3A4/P-gp substrates require medication review; bosutinib interaction evidence is in vitro/PBPK modeling, not a clinical outcome trial. Caffeine/adaptogen stack stimulation is anecdotal.
Avoid or ask a doctor first if
Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding because safety is insufficient and uterine-stimulation concerns are reported. Transplant recipients must not self-combine with tacrolimus. Reflux/ulcer symptoms may worsen with acidic berries; epilepsy and hypertension cautions are traditional rather than proven trial risks. Long-term human safety is limited.
Sources (PubMed, 15)
- Effect of Schisandra Chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
PMID 32260466 · 2020 · Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialSmall adult-women trial on quadriceps strength and fatigue.
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms.
PMID 27763802 · 2016 · Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialSmall menopausal-symptom trial.
- Efficacy of Schisandra chinensis in liver injury: a systematic review and preclinical meta-analysis.
PMID 40832608 · 2025 · Systematic review and preclinical meta-analysisAnimal liver-injury models, not clinical supplement liver regeneration.
- Therapeutic potential of bicyclol in liver diseases: Lessons from a synthetic drug based on herbal derivative in traditional Chinese medicine.
PMID 33383448 · 2021 · Narrative reviewBicyclol is a synthetic herbal-derivative medicine, not equivalent berry evidence.
- Impact of Chisan (ADAPT-232) on the quality-of-life and its efficacy as an adjuvant in the treatment of acute non-specific pneumonia.
PMID 16323290 · 2005 · Phase III randomized trialADAPT-232 mixture in pneumonia recovery and quality of life.
- Efficacy of Adaptogens in Patients with Long COVID-19: A Randomized, Quadruple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
PMID 35337143 · 2022 · Randomized quadruple-blind placebo-controlled trialMulti-adaptogen long-COVID intervention.
- Neuropeptide Y stimulation as primary target for preventive measures of maladaptative cardiovascular reactions in occupational chronic stress exposure.
PMID 23272529 · 2012 · Randomized trialStress/NPY context for a mixed adaptogenic intervention, not isolated schisandra.
- Antidepressant-like effects and cognitive enhancement of Schisandra chinensis in chronic unpredictable mild stress mice and its related mechanism.
PMID 28761074 · 2017 · Animal studyAntidepressant-like effects in stressed mice.
- An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis.
PMID 29136774 · 2018 · Narrative review of preclinical evidenceLignan cognitive/neuroprotective mechanisms.
- Total Lignans of Schisandra chinensis Ameliorates Aβ1-42-Induced Neurodegeneration with Cognitive Impairment in Mice and Primary Mouse Neuronal Cells.
PMID 27035824 · 2016 · Animal and cell studyNeurodegeneration and cognition in mice/cells.
- Lignans from Schisandra chinensis ameliorate cognition deficits and attenuate brain oxidative damage induced by D-galactose in rats.
PMID 26847610 · 2016 · Animal studyD-galactose rat cognition model.
- Schisandrol A Improves Anxiety and Cognitive Function in Mice Subjected to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress.
PMID 41510771 · 2026 · Animal studyAnxiety/cognition in stressed mice.
- Effect of hepar-protecting Wuzhi capsule on pharmacokinetics and dose-effect character of tacrolimus in healthy volunteers.
PMID 35180322 · 2022 · Human pharmacokinetic studyWuzhi capsule alters tacrolimus pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers.
- Controversial Interactions of Tacrolimus with Dietary Supplements, Herbs and Food.
PMID 36297591 · 2022 · Narrative reviewTacrolimus interactions with herbs, supplements and food.
- Potential for pharmacokinetic interactions between Schisandra sphenanthera and bosutinib, but not imatinib: in vitro metabolism study combined with a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling approach.
PMID 32250458 · 2020 · In vitro and PBPK modeling studyPotential S. sphenanthera interaction with bosutinib; not clinical confirmation.
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