Arjuna

Terminalia arjuna

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Heart failure support^{1, 2} Stable angina^{3, 4} Essential hypertension⁵ Hyperlipidemia⁶ Cardiovascular risk factors⁷ Cardiac conditioning^{8, 9}	Pregnancy¹⁰ Breastfeeding¹⁰

Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) is a tree whose bark is used in Ayurveda for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and for cardioprotection¹¹. Supplementation follows from that cardiac reputation: adjunctive use in chronic heart failure, and use for stable angina, blood pressure, and lipids. Typical users are adults with cardiovascular disease or risk factors who already take standard therapy⁵.

In men with chronic stable angina, a crossover trial found fewer angina episodes than placebo, comparable to isosorbide mononitrate³. A 2026 randomized trial in stage 1 hypertension on background telmisartan found a greater blood pressure fall than placebo⁵. A 2025 network meta-analysis of randomized trials of plant extracts in heart failure listed Terminalia arjuna extract among those with significant effects on cardiac function outcomes, and called for larger trials². Products listing Arjuna number 871 and come as capsules, powders, liquids, and tea bags; see Form comparison.

Per Health Canada labels, people with a cardiovascular disorder are asked to consult a health care practitioner before use, which matters because most users are already on standard cardiac therapy¹⁰.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

27 sources, 27 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.
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.
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