Herb Profile
Cornus Officinalis
Cornus officinalis
Cornus Officinalis (Cornus officinalis) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.
Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited
Use extra caution — May lower blood glucose or alter metabolic markers; monitor with diabetes medications and avoid unsupervised use during pregnancy. Details
- Evidence
- Limited Evidence
- Typical onset
- Varies by prep
- Safety rating
- High caution
- Best for
- Reproductive, Hormonal, Stress resilience, Metabolic health
- Avoid / review if
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision, Known Allergy To The Plant/Family, Significant Kidney Disease Or Unstable Electrolytes
Safety
Safety & Cautions
May lower blood glucose or alter metabolic markers; monitor with diabetes medications and avoid unsupervised use during pregnancy.
High caution
Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.
- Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Hormonal Activity ContextHormone-adjacent wording is present and should be interpreted carefully.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding CautionPregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision
- Known Allergy To The Plant/Family
- Significant Kidney Disease Or Unstable Electrolytes
- Potential Interaction Concern With Antidiabetic Medicines
- Use Clinician Review For High Dose Extracts Or Chronic Use.
Safety classifications
- Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Hormonal Activity Context: Hormone-adjacent wording is present and should be interpreted carefully.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution: Pregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Full safety note
- May lower blood glucose or alter metabolic markers; monitor with diabetes medications and avoid unsupervised use during pregnancy.
Safety labels
- Interaction-Aware
- Hormonal Activity Context
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution
Evidence-based safety
Caution when combined
Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.
Moderate Caution
110 flagged pairingsBlood-sugar lowering
Moderate Caution
110 flagged pairingsBlood-sugar lowering
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Blood-sugar loweringCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 110 of 110 pairings in this mechanism group.
- Acarbose — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Aloe Vera — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Alpha-Lipoic Acid — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Anemarrhena Asphodeloides — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Tarragon — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ashoka — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus Membranaceus — Theoretical interaction certainty
+98 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Evidence
Evidence Summary
Evidence lens
Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.
LimitedLimited Evidence
Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal
Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Oxidative Stress Modulation · Metabolic Regulation · Hormonal Signaling Context
Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic research — Mechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.
Safety boundary: Safety note available — May lower blood glucose or alter metabolic markers; monitor with diabetes medications and avoid unsupervised use during pregnancy.
This profile cites 3 human studies.
Study design details
Evidence Grade
Grade C: Limited Evidence
Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.
- Design Match
- Narrative review
- Risk of Bias
- High
- Consistency
- Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 2 recorded studies, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work
Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.
- Strong
- Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
- Moderate
- Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
- Preliminary / Mixed
- Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
- Traditional / Theoretical
- Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable
Filter by study class
Showing 3 of 3 studies.
What the evidence actually shows
This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.
| Study | Design | N | Dose | Duration | Population | Outcome | Result & magnitude | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cornus officinalis: a potential herb for treatment of osteoporosis Tang X et al. · Front Med (Lausanne) · 2023 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc Huang J et al. · J Ethnopharmacol · 2018 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Zhu JH et al. · J Ethnopharmacol · 2024 Background | Other / unclear The study design is not yet classified clearly enough to infer its place in the evidence hierarchy. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Dosing & Timing
- No standardized dose
- Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Preparation varies by tradition and product form and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Cornus Officinalis works
Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.
Mechanism Pathway — How Cornus Officinalis Works
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
- Oxidative Stress Modulation
- Metabolic Regulation
- Hormonal Signaling Context
- Nrf2 Activation
Active Compounds
Key constituents studied in Cornus Officinalis, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.
Compare related active botanicals
Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.
Compare & Sourcing
Compare side-by-side tradeoffs or verify active marker guidelines.
Safety first · Harm reduction
This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.
Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.
Founder & Head Researcher · Oak Ridge, TN · Last reviewed August 2026
Editorial Review
Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.
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