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Ck6.0

Cramp Bark Research

Mostly mechanism / observationalHigh safety

7 peer-reviewed studies

What the evidence says

Mostly mechanism / observational

Most Cramp Bark studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.

Most evidence is from medium-quality randomised trials published 2014–2025 with a typical study size of 86 participants.

Based on 7 studies · 1 RCT · 86 total participants

Confidence

Low

What the studies found

1helped· 6 more without graded effect data

By outcome

Therapeutic & ethnobotany
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Inflammation
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Muscle cramps & function
Too few graded studies1 study
Pain & analgesia
Too few graded studies1 study

Active research area

4 studies in the last 5 years

201420192025

1Systematic ReviewCited 5×2024

Stabnikova O et al. · Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) (2024)

These fruits have a great potential to be used in functional food making.
The possibilities of using the fruits of wild-grown shrubs in the preparation of functional foods and examples of their implementation for the manufacturing of dairy, bakery and meat products are considered.

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2Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activitiesSystematic ReviewCited 36×2020

Viburnum opulus demonstrates antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities supported by its rich polyphenolic composition.

Kajszczak D, Zaklos-Szyda M, Podsedek A · Nutrients (2020)

Confirmed antispasmodic activity through multiple mechanisms including calcium channel modulation
Identified chlorogenic acid, catechin, and procyanidins as primary bioactive compounds
Demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines

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3Medical expulsive therapy effectiveness for distal ureteral calculiRCTCited 3×n=86 · small study2021

V. opulus can be used effectively and safely for the treatment of MET in distal ureteral calculi.

Gok B et al. · International journal of clinical practice (2021)

Huge benefit

← WorseNo effectBetter →

Likely real

Additional analgesic requirement and need for emergency admission were found to be lower in the Viburnum opulus group (37.2% vs 65.1%, P = .017 and 11.6% vs 34.8%, P = .02, respectively).
V. opulus can be used effectively and safely for the treatment of MET in distal ureteral calculi.
Further research warranted to confirm findings

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4Mineral content comparison for hypocitraturic stone treatmentObservationalCited 2×2014

There was no difference between them in terms of the amount of magnesium and citrate.

Tuglu D et al. · Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica (2014)

Likely real

Potassium was found to be statistically significantly higher in V. opulus than that in lemon juice (p = 0.006) whereas sodium (p = 0.004) and calcium (p = 0.008) were found to be lower.
Further research warranted to confirm findings

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5PreclinicalCited 18×2020

Viburnum opulus fruit extracts exhibited potent antioxidant and cytoprotective properties in cellular models.

Zaklos-Szyda M, Majewska I, Redzynia M, Koziolkiewicz M · Molecules (2020)

Potent antioxidant activity comparable to established antioxidant supplements
Cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress in cell models
Significant anti-diabetic potential through alpha-glucosidase inhibition

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6In VitroCited 5×2025

This observational examined the effects of Cramp Bark.

Giritlioglu NI et al. · Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) (2025)

Glioblastoma is the most common and highly invasive glial tumor, significantly reducing patient survival.
Analyses including clonogenic cell survival, wound healing, apoptosis, total antioxidant status, and total oxidant status were continued on only U87MG cells, as human dermal fibroblasts showed a low response to nanovesicle treatment.
Qualitative and quantitative assessments demonstrated that Viburnum opulus-derived nanovesicles effectively inhibited cancer cell proliferation and migration.

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7In VitroCited 11×2021

Nevertheless, their usefulness as diet supplements that are beneficial for the prevention of staphylococcal infections should be confirmed in animal models in the future.

Wójcik-Bojek U et al. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2021)

Due to the very high percentage of drug-resistant strains, the participation of drug-tolerant biofilms in pathological changes, and thus the limited number of effective antibiotics, there is an urgent need to search for alternative methods of prevention or treatment for S. aureus infections.
The cytotoxicity of V. opulus extracts to the human fibroblast line HFF-1 was also tested (MTT reduction).
V. opulus extracts strongly inhibited SrtA activity and SpA expression, caused modifications of S. aureus cell membrane, limited biofilm formation by staphylococci, and were non-cytotoxic.

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View in Research Library

Cramp Bark Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

Fruits of Wild-Grown Shrubs for Health Nutrition

Viburnum opulus L. — A Review of Phytochemistry and Biological Effects

Gilaburu extract (Viburnum opulus Linnaeus) is as effective as Tamsulosin in medical expulsive therapy of distal ureteral calculi

Viburnum opulus: could it be a new alternative, such as lemon juice, to pharmacological therapy in hypocitraturic stone patients?

Biological Activities and Phytochemical Profile of Viburnum opulus Fruit Extracts

Cost-effective isolation of Viburnum opulus-derived nanovesicles and evaluation of their cytotoxic, anticancer, and antioxidant properties on human glioblastoma cell line U87MG

An In Vitro Study of the Effect of Viburnum opulus Extracts on Key Processes in the Development of Staphylococcal Infections