Supplement
Butterfly pea is a blue-flowered climbing plant, used in traditional medicine and as a natural food dye, whose petals contain ternatins, pigments that act as antioxidants. People mostly look at it for memory, and the evidence is limited: in rodents, root extract improved memory and learning in maze tests, sometimes similar to piracetam or Bacopa, possibly by raising acetylcholine. Those results come from animal work, so it remains unclear whether the same happens in people.
Sources: PMID 26878015; PMID 12895672
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0014
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Function & Memory In rodent models, Clitoria ternatea root extract (100-300mg/kg) improved memory and learning in passive avoidance and Y-maze tests, with some studies reporting effects comparable to piracetam or Bacopa monnieri. The mechanism is attributed to acetylcholinesterase inhibition leading to increased acetylcholine levels, a well-characterized nootropic pathway. No human clinical trials exist. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured cognitive function & memory | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety In rodent models, Clitoria ternatea root extracts showed anxiolytic activity in elevated plus maze and light-dark box tests, with effects comparable to low-dose diazepam but without motor impairment. The proposed mechanism involves GABA-A receptor modulation, but no human trials have been conducted. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
General
- Depression: improves
- Blood Glucose: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression In mouse models, Clitoria ternatea extracts showed antidepressant-like effects in forced swim test and tail suspension test paradigms. The mechanism may involve modulation of monoamine neurotransmitters, but evidence is limited to basic behavioral screens with no human data. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Blood Glucose In vitro, Clitoria ternatea flower extracts inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion. In diabetic rat models, the extracts reduced blood glucose levels, suggesting potential to slow carbohydrate absorption. No human trials exist. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Antioxidant Status
- Antioxidant Status: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Status Ternatins (anthocyanins unique to Clitoria ternatea) demonstrate strong antioxidant activity in cell-free assays. In rodent models, treatment increased brain antioxidant enzyme levels (SOD, catalase), which may contribute to neuroprotective effects. Evidence is limited to in vitro and animal studies. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured antioxidant status | ||||||
Key findings
- Cognitive Function & MemoryImproves (the measure goes up)
- AnxietyImproves (the measure goes down)
- DepressionImproves (the measure goes down)
Shop Butterfly Pea
Third-party tested Butterfly Pea products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure
Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed