Citrus Bergamot

Citrus bergamia · Bergamot polyphenolic fraction · Bergamot extract

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Blood glucose control¹ Body weight and waist circumference² Stress symptoms (aromatherapy)³	Pregnancy or lactation⁴ Liver disease⁴ Under 18 years⁴

Citrus bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a Mediterranean citrus whose juice and flavonoid-rich extracts are sold as supplements; its lipid effect is attributed partly to statin-like inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. Further uses are glucose control and body weight. The essential oil is inhaled for stress.

A 2025 placebo-controlled trial of a bergamot, plant sterol, and artichoke combination found no change in LDL cholesterol⁵. In osteosarcopenic obesity, a 2024 systematic review reported promising effects of bergamot extracts on skeletal muscle mass and function⁶. More than seven thousand products list citrus bergamot, mostly capsules; see Form comparison.

Health Canada lists acid reflux as a known adverse reaction on most licensed products⁷. Its labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with prescription medication, since citrus bioflavonoids may alter their effectiveness⁷.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

43 sources, 29 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