Chrysin

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Glucose regulation¹ Inflammation² Neuropathic pain²	Pregnancy or nursing³ Before surgery³

Chrysin is a flavonoid found in honey, propolis, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, and it modulates inflammatory signaling pathways. People take it for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and for metabolic support^{1, 2}. Its use by athletes and men rests on aromatase inhibition, which would block conversion of testosterone to estradiol.

Human research is limited to about three small studies, covering absorption, metabolism, safety, and urinary testosterone. A 2003 controlled study of men taking chrysin-containing honey and propolis found no change in urinary testosterone⁴. In healthy adults, a 2025 randomized crossover trial found a micellar chrysin-quercetin-rutin formulation raised systemic exposure above unformulated chrysin, with small fasting glucose reductions as a secondary observation¹. Thousands of products list chrysin, mainly as capsules and powders, and poor oral bioavailability has driven micellar and nano-delivery formulations; see Form comparison².

Two of 30 United States product labels warn against use when pregnant or nursing³, and one advises discontinuing before surgery³.

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

In the full monograph

16 sources, 10 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