Apple Polyphenols

Apple extract · Apple peel extract · Applephenon

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Total and LDL cholesterol¹ Glucose tolerance² Constipation³ Inflammation markers⁴ Hair density⁵ Intermittent claudication⁶ Allergic rhinitis⁷	Pregnancy or nursing⁸ Apple allergy⁹

Apple polyphenols are procyanidin-rich extracts of whole or unripe apples, taken for cardiometabolic risk, where they are believed to act on lipid and glucose metabolism¹. A separate trial found better glucose tolerance in people with borderline fasting glucose. A small trial in overweight adults with constipation found more frequent defecation. Fewer trials cover apple extract for hair density, intermittent claudication, and allergic rhinitis.

The cardiovascular evidence is split. In a 2026 intestinal cell-culture study, an apple copigment fraction prevented the loss of barrier integrity caused by aspartame, but whole apple extract did not. Apple polyphenols increased glucose uptake. It remains an in vitro finding¹⁰. Products are mostly capsules or tablets; see Form comparison.

Labels also ask people with diabetes to consult a healthcare provider before use⁸.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

43 sources, 33 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources