Schisandra

Supplements · Adaptogens & Stress Herbs · Supplement, Typed Supps

Called the five-flavour fruit in traditional use, now studied as an adaptogen.

Stage by stage

Intake (Extract capsule or berry): Active compounds absorbed in the small intestine.
Small intestine (Absorbed): Absorbed alongside other plant compounds.
Liver (Some compounds processed here): Circulates, with some compounds processed by the liver.
Stress response (Preliminary research): Studied for effects on the stress response and liver-related markers, though most research is preliminary.

What the evidence supports

Improving stress resilience, mental and physical performance — limited evidence. Its adaptogen reputation rests largely on older, mostly Russian studies of variable quality; modern controlled trials are sparse.
Protecting the liver / normalising liver enzymes — limited evidence. Some human and laboratory data on hepatoprotection, but trials are small and not robust enough to call established.

Typical dose

1.5–6 g daily of dried fruit, or roughly 500–2000 mg of a standardised extract

Upper limit: No established UL; long-term human safety data are lacking

Timing

With food, standard dosing.

Time to effect

Weeks: Any reported effect in studies.

Medication interactions

Drugs metabolised by CYP3A4 (e.g. tacrolimus, ciclosporin, many statins and calcium-channel blockers): Schisandra lignans inhibit CYP3A4 and can raise blood levels of these drugs; the interaction with tacrolimus is well documented. (moderate)

Common myth

“Schisandra is proven to protect the liver.” In reality: Most supporting research is preliminary, done in animals or small human trials — not enough to call the effect proven.