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Juj3.0
Jujube Research
Too few graded studies
33 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Too few graded studies
Jujube doesn't have enough studies with structured effect-size data yet to pool a verdict. Browse the studies below for individual findings.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 2008–2026 with a typical study size of 207 participants.
Based on 33 studies · 2 meta-analyses · 14 RCTs · 207 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
By outcome
Sleep & insomniaTraditional insomnia remedy with GABAergic/serotonergic mechanism; human data are mostly multi-herb or add-on, not standalone · Weeks (in combination trials)
Too few graded studies9 studies
Safety profile
Too few graded studies2 studies
Active research area
24 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2025
200820172026
1Systematic Review2022
Nahrin A, Junaid M, Afrose SS, Barua A, Akter Y, Alam MS · Mini Rev Med Chem (2022)
No plain-language summary recorded for this citation — open the paper to read its abstract.
In plain English: The main goal of this review is to explore the underlying mechanisms related to the therapeutic effects of wild jujube and its active compounds in the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome.
Alla C, Ali A, Mehiou A, Salhi Y, Bouanani N, Legssyer A, Ziyyat A. · Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences (2025)
They exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, regulate lipid metabolism, and possess antiobesity, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic characteristics.
However, there are certain limitations to their therapeutic application, such as low bioavailability.
Various strategies have been proposed to enhance their pharmacokinetic profile and therapeutic potential for future use.
In plain English: The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of SJS's multifaceted mechanism of action, addressing previous knowledge gaps and highlighting how the integrated PD-PK paradigm can guide the rational development and clinical translation of SJS-based therapies.
Wu Y, Sun L, Ma Y, Wu L, Niu W, Li J, Feng Q, Wang S, Niu H, Bai Q, Du J, Liu H. · Chinese medicine (2025)
This approach revealed a holistic compound-target network, demonstrating that SJS's therapeutic efficacy arises from the synergistic effects of multiple constituents.
These interacting compounds simultaneously modulate various targets and pathways, including neurotransmitter systems, inflammatory and antioxidant responses, and metabolic regulators.
By incorporating PK constraints, non-bioavailable compounds were excluded, isolating core bioactive constituents and linking them to pharmacological actions within a rigorous, systems-level framework.
In plain English: Overall, this study provides a reference for future applications of sour jujube in food and medicine fields.
Ruan W, Liu J, Zhang S, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Wang Z. · Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
The pulp has antioxidant properties and is used to develop added-value foods (e.g., juice, vinegar, wine).
The leaves can be used to make tea and flowers are good sources of honey; their extracts are rich sources of flavonoids and saponins, which show promising medicinal effects.
The branches, roots and bark have healing properties in traditional folk medicine.
In plain English: This review provides theoretical support and a scientific basis for the in-depth development and utilization of jujube phenolic compounds as well as for the research and development of related functional foods and drugs.
Hu Y, Du J, Fan Y, Liu F, He W, Li B, Cui X, Wang C. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (2026)
Meanwhile, this review comprehensively summarizes the pharmacological activities of phenolic compounds in jujube fruits, including antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects.
It also elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying these bioactivities, such as regulating signaling pathways and scavenging free radicals.
Finally, it analyzes the limitations of current research and proposes key directions for future development.
In plain English: It also holds considerable potential to support the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and to improve public mental health.
Huo C, Li Q, Cai N, Teng C, Kou J. · 3 Biotech (2026)
However, there are still several challenges in the research on the antidepressant effects of MFH.
These include unclear mechanisms of action, insufficient identification of active compounds, lack of standardized quality control, and limited large-scale clinical validation.
Overall, MFH represents a safe and promising therapeutic strategy for depression.
In plain English: These findings suggest that ZJF may offer metabolic and hepatoprotective benefits in patients with NAFLD, although the primary outcome remained inconclusive.
Borzooei R et al. · Food science & nutrition (2026)
After adjusting for baseline values, weight, and waist circumference using ANCOVA, no significant between-group difference was observed for the primary outcome, FBG (p = 0.12).
However, the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in the secondary outcomes of ALT (p = 0.015), AST (p = 0.001), LDL-C (p = 0.04), TC (p = 0.004), and the severity of hepatic steatosis (p = 0.001) compared to the control group.
In this randomized controlled trial, daily supplementation with ZJF powder (30 g/day) in conjunction with a low-calorie diet for 12 weeks did not significantly reduce FBG (the primary outcome) compared to diet alone.
In plain English: This review highlights the need to prioritize research on nonseed parts to maximize their medicinal and nutritional value.
Zheng X, Fu W, Lin X, Dai Y, Zhang J, Li S, Zhang Y, Liu H. · The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology (2026)
Nonseed tissues, such as fruits, leaves, and roots, exhibit underutilized potential due to their high content of antioxidants and nutrients, yet remain understudied, leading to resource waste.
Conclusions This review highlights the need to prioritize research on nonseed parts to maximize their medicinal and nutritional value.
The findings provide a scientific basis for advancing sour jujube's applications in healthcare and functional food industries.
In plain English: Z. lotus appears to be a good source for antioxidant compounds (phenolics and flavonoids, which are a diverse group of natural compounds belonging to the polyphenol family) and nutritional molecules (carbohydrates, amino acids, triacylglycerol, proteins, sterols, fibers, vitamins, lipids, and minerals), which made it a viable option for human nutrition and health promotion.
Messaad CE, Belhadj H. · Journal of medicinal food (2025)
Its fruit, "Nbeg," is used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments, such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, liver disorders, and gastrointestinal issues.
This mini review highlights the main nutritional and medicinal properties of Nbeg and its potential application in human health and nutrition.
Current scientific articles have recommended the use of Z. lotus -derived compounds to generate novel treatments due to their diverse biological functions (anti-ulcer, wound healing, litholytic, and antispasmodic effects).