Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei)
Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) is a leafy plant in the carrot and celery family, native to Japan, whose leaves and stems are eaten as a vegetable and in green juice. When the stems are cut they release a yellow sap rich in chalcones, mainly xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin, and supplements use this sap or powdered leaves and stems. It is not the same as Korean angelica (Angelica gigas) or dong quai (Angelica sinensis), which are used for their roots. In one 12-week placebo-controlled trial in 42 adults with overweight, a chalcone capsule reduced visceral fat area and waist size more than placebo, but two other trials of a similar powder found no between-group difference, and all three were funded by one maker. Effects on lifespan, blood sugar and platelets come from lab and animal work. The sap contains furanocoumarins, and EU regulators set a safe intake well below the trial dose.
Benefits
Visceral fat area and waist size over 12 weeks
In 42 adults with overweight, capsules supplying 16 mg of ashitaba chalcones daily for 12 weeks reduced CT-measured visceral fat area, the primary outcome, and waist size more than placebo. Two other placebo-controlled trials (8 and 12 weeks, 41 and 60 people) of a similar 200 to 220 mg sap powder found no between-group difference in visceral fat or body weight. All three trials were funded by the same maker.
Liver enzyme levels in habitual drinkers
In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial in 82 habitual drinkers with abnormal liver tests, an ashitaba extract did not change AST or ALT compared with placebo. In the subgroup of heavy drinkers, the liver enzyme GGT fell more than on placebo. These are blood markers, and ashitaba is not a substitute for cutting down on alcohol or for medical care.
Blood sugar, blood fats and a hunger hormone
In a 12-week trial of 220 mg a day in 60 adults with features of metabolic syndrome, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol did not differ from placebo, and triglycerides rose more on ashitaba from a higher start. The hunger hormone ghrelin fell versus placebo, a difference that was not significant. These are markers.
Absorption of ashitaba compounds in people
After a single 5 g dose of dried ashitaba powder, plasma quercetin and lutein rose in 10 older adults. In another study, the chalcones 4-hydroxyderricin and xanthoangelols B and F, along with two furanocoumarins, were detected in plasma samples from 20 people after ashitaba intake. These show absorption, not health effects.
Glucose uptake in muscle cells and mice (lab and animal work)
In rat muscle cells, 4-hydroxyderricin and xanthoangelol increased glucose uptake through the AMPK pathway, and oral doses blunted the rise in blood glucose after a glucose drink in mice. No human trial has shown a glucose-lowering effect: in a 12-week trial of 220 mg a day, fasting glucose and HbA1c did not differ from placebo.
Lifespan in yeast, worms and flies (lab and animal work)
4,4'-dimethoxychalcone, a chalcone detected in ashitaba leaves and stems in unreported amounts, extended the lifespan of yeast, worms and flies in an autophagy-dependent way when given in pure form. An ashitaba extract lengthened the life of female fruit flies but not males. Lifespan and autophagy have not been measured in people taking ashitaba.
Mechanism of action
AMPK signaling and glucose transport (lab and animal work)
In muscle cells, 4-hydroxyderricin and xanthoangelol activated the LKB1 and AMPK energy-sensing pathway and moved the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface, raising glucose uptake; blocking AMPK canceled the effect. Oral doses blunted the glucose rise in mice. This proposed basis for metabolic effects has not been confirmed in people.
Platelet and clotting activity (animal work)
In mice, ashitaba exudate and xanthoangelol counteracted a lab-induced shortening of tail bleeding time, an anti-platelet effect. In 90-day rat studies of a chalcone sap powder, platelet counts fell and prothrombin time lengthened at higher doses. These findings underlie the caution with blood thinners.
Autophagy induction by a minor chalcone (lab and animal work)
The ashitaba chalcone 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone switched on autophagy, the cell's recycling process, in yeast, worms, flies, human cells and mice, and its lifespan and heart-protective effects in these models depended on it. The amount of this compound in ashitaba products and its effect in people are unknown.
Clinical trials
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial; capsules supplying 16 mg of chalcones (10.1 mg 4-hydroxyderricin, 5.9 mg xanthoangelol) or placebo daily for 12 weeks; primary endpoint CT-measured visceral fat area. Registered prospectively as UMIN000023988 on 9 September 2016, before the planned 12 September start (registered primary: visceral fat area at 8 and 12 weeks), funded by Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd, with three of six authors from that company; published about seven years after registration (Watanabe et al. 2024, Int J Food Sci Nutr)
42 Japanese adults (17 men, 25 women) with a BMI of 25 to under 30.
Visceral fat area, the primary endpoint, fell significantly more than with placebo at 12 weeks (p < 0.05); the abstract reports significance at 12 weeks only. Waist circumference, a secondary endpoint, fell more than with placebo at weeks 8 (p < 0.05) and 12 (p < 0.01). Body weight results are not given in the abstract. An EU safety review describing a trial of the same size, design and length reported only a temporary fall in serum total protein at week 4 among safety measures.
Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot studies of an ashitaba sap chalcone powder (at least 8 percent chalcones), 200 mg a day after dinner for 8 weeks; primary outcomes in the main study were body weight and CT-measured fat areas; one-tailed tests; no registry number given; 100 percent financed and supplied by Japan Bio Science Laboratory, and both authors are its employees; not PubMed-indexed (Ohnishi et al. 2017, Adv Obes Weight Manag Control)
Study 1: 15 healthy men (10 active, 5 placebo). Study 2: 26 adults aged 40 to 65 with a BMI of 25 to 30 and waist over 85 cm (13 per group); the placebo group was older on average (52.4 versus 41.3 years).
In the main study, the paper states no significant between-group differences in body weight or fat areas, the primary outcomes. Within the chalcone group, visceral fat area fell from 107.0 to 97.0 square cm and body weight by 0.81 kg from baseline; placebo values also fell. No safety parameter changed significantly.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week pilot; 220 mg a day of a sap powder standardized to 3 percent 4-hydroxyderricin and 5 percent xanthoangelol, taken with dinner; no outcome named as primary; per-protocol analysis; 100 percent financed by Japan Bio Science Laboratory, one author its employee; no registry number given; not PubMed-indexed (Hewlings et al. 2018, Adv Obes Weight Manag Control)
60 adults (30 men, 30 women) with features of metabolic syndrome and an average BMI of 35.2; 59 analyzed for efficacy.
Change in visceral fat did not differ between groups; in men alone the drop from baseline did not reach significance (p = 0.069). Body composition, fasting glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol, mood and fatigue did not differ. Triglycerides rose more with ChalCurb than placebo (p = 0.036) from a higher starting level. Ghrelin, a hunger hormone, fell on ChalCurb and rose on placebo, a difference that was not significant (p = 0.062).
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter 12-week trial; dose listed in a later review as 500 mg of extract twice daily; the abstract names no single primary outcome; supported by non-US government funding per PubMed (Noh et al. 2015, J Med Food)
82 Korean habitual alcohol drinkers with abnormal liver blood tests; 43 were heavy drinkers (more than 35 units a week).
AST and ALT did not differ between the extract and placebo groups. Only in the heavy-drinker subgroup did GGT fall with the extract (19 people) with a significant difference from placebo (24 people; p = 0.046). These are blood markers, and the positive result comes from a subgroup.
Pilot study with no control group described in the abstract; 6.2 g a day of granulated ashitaba green juice powder supplying 12.3 mg chalcones for 8 weeks; all authors from Takara Bio Inc.; not PubMed-indexed (Ohnogi et al. 2012, Japanese Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
9 adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome.
Visceral fat area, body weight, BMI and body fat fell from baseline. With no placebo group, these changes cannot be credited to ashitaba. No adverse clinical changes in blood or urine tests and no serious symptoms were reported.
Open single-dose absorption study with blood sampling over 8 hours; 5 g of dry Angelica keiskei powder in capsules with a low-flavonoid liquid meal; no placebo (Correa et al. 2014, Nutr Res Pract)
10 older adults: 5 healthy adults over 60 and 5 with metabolic syndrome.
Plasma quercetin rose at several time points and plasma lutein rose at 8 hours compared with baseline, and total antioxidant performance increased. Chalcones were not reported as measured in the abstract. These are absorption markers, not health outcomes.
Side effects and drug interactions
Common Potential side effects
Important Drug interactions
Frequently asked questions about Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei)
What is ashitaba, and is it the same as dong quai or Korean angelica?
Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) is a Japanese plant whose leaves and stems are eaten as a vegetable and in green juice, and whose cut stems release a yellow sap rich in chalcones such as xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin. Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) and Korean angelica (Angelica gigas) are related plants used for their roots and different compounds, so their research does not apply to ashitaba.
Does ashitaba help reduce belly fat?
The evidence is small and comes from one maker. In a 12-week trial in 42 adults with overweight, 16 mg of ashitaba chalcones a day reduced CT-measured visceral fat and waist size more than placebo. Two other trials of a similar powder, one of them larger, found no difference from placebo in visceral fat or body weight, so the result needs confirmation.
How much ashitaba was used in studies?
The fat trials used 200 to 220 mg a day of a sap chalcone powder, supplying about 16 mg of chalcones, for 8 to 12 weeks. Other studies used 1 g a day of an extract or 6.2 g a day of green juice powder. EU regulators set a lower safe intake of 35 mg a day for one marketed sap powder. Follow the label and ask a healthcare provider.
Is ashitaba safe, and who should avoid it?
Trials of up to 12 weeks reported no serious problems, though triglycerides rose in one. In rats, high doses lengthened clotting time, and the plant contains furanocoumarins that can cause sun sensitivity. People taking warfarin or other blood thinners, those with celery-family allergies, and pregnant or breastfeeding women should talk to a clinician first.
What is Ashitaba?
Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) is a leafy plant in the carrot and celery family, native to Japan, whose leaves and stems are eaten as a vegetable and in green juice.
What is Ashitaba used for?
Ashitaba is researched primarily for Weight Management. In 42 adults with overweight, capsules supplying 16 mg of ashitaba chalcones daily for 12 weeks reduced CT-measured visceral fat area, the primary outcome, and waist size more than placebo.
Does Ashitaba interact with any medications?
Possible interactions include: Warfarin: ashitaba green juice (aojiru) powders and tablets can supply vitamin K, and Japanese researchers advise people on warfarin to take care with these products. Ashitaba chalcones also showed anti-platelet effects in mice and lengthened clotting time in rats. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.
How strong is the scientific evidence for Ashitaba?
NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Ashitaba as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 6 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.
References(16 citations)
Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.
- Randomised, double-blind, parallel group comparison of Ashitaba (Angelica Keiskei) chalcone effects on visceral fat areas and waist circumference of overweight persons. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2024;75(4):426-435. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2024.2334070.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial in 42 adults (17 men, 25 women) with a BMI of 25 to under 30. Capsules supplying 16 mg of ashitaba chalcone (10.1 mg 4-hydroxyderricin and 5.9 mg xanthoangelol) or placebo were taken daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint, CT-measured abdominal visceral fat area, fell significantly more than with placebo at 12 weeks (p < 0.05), and waist circumference, a secondary endpoint, fell more at weeks 8 and 12. Three authors are affiliated with Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd, which Europe PMC lists as the funder. The trial was registered as UMIN000023988 in 2016, with visceral fat area at 8 and 12 weeks as the registered primary outcome, and was published in 2024.
- A Two Part Randomized, Placebo Controlled Double Blind Pilot Study to Determine the Effect of Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) Chalcone Powder (ChalCurbR) on Body Weight and Visceral Fat in Slightly Obese Adults Adv Obes Weight Manag Control. 2017;7(2):242-246. doi: 10.15406/aowmc.2017.07.00189.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; read on the publisher's site. Two small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot studies of an ashitaba sap chalcone powder (at least 8 percent chalcones), 200 mg a day after dinner for 8 weeks: 15 healthy men (10 active, 5 placebo) and 26 adults with a BMI of 25 to 30 (13 per group). In the second study, body weight and CT-measured fat areas were the primary outcomes, and the paper states no significant between-group differences; visceral fat (107.0 to 97.0 square cm), body weight and waist fell from baseline in the chalcone group. The placebo group was older on average (52.4 versus 41.3 years). Fully financed and supplied by Japan Bio Science Laboratory, and both authors are listed as its employees. No safety parameter changed significantly.
- A study to evaluate chalcurb® a standardized powder derived from the sap of the Angelica keiskei (Ashitaba) on markers of health in adults with metabolic syndrome Adv Obes Weight Manag Control. 2018;8(4):203-208. doi: 10.15406/aowmc.2018.08.00244.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; read on the publisher's site (author order taken from the DOI registry record). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week pilot in 60 adults (30 men, 30 women) with features of metabolic syndrome, 220 mg a day of ChalCurb® (Ashitaba Sap Chalcone Powder), standardized to 3 percent 4-hydroxyderricin and 5 percent xanthoangelol. Change in visceral fat did not differ between groups; a within-group drop in men did not reach significance (p = 0.069). Body composition, glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol, mood and fatigue did not differ. Triglycerides rose more on ChalCurb than placebo (p = 0.036), from an unequal baseline, and ghrelin fell versus a rise on placebo (p = 0.062, not significant). Financed by Japan Bio Science Laboratory; one author is its employee.
- Angelica keiskei Koidzumi extracts improve some markers of liver function in habitual alcohol drinkers: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. J Med Food. 2015;18(2):166-72. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2014.3222.PubMedUsed to support: Placebo-controlled, randomized double-blind 12-week trial of an Angelica keiskei extract in 82 Korean habitual alcohol drinkers with abnormal liver blood tests. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) did not differ between the extract and placebo groups. In the subgroup of 43 heavy drinkers (more than 35 units a week), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) fell in the 19 on extract with a significant difference from the 24 on placebo (p = 0.046). These are blood markers.
- Efficacy and Safety of Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) on the Patients and Candidates with Metabolic Syndrome: A Pilot Study Japanese Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012;9(1):49-55. doi: 10.1625/jcam.9.49.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; English abstract read on J-STAGE. Nine adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome drank ashitaba green juice (6.2 g a day of granulated powder supplying 12.3 mg chalcones) for 8 weeks. Visceral fat area, body weight, BMI and body fat fell from baseline; no control group is described in the abstract. No adverse clinical changes in blood or urine tests and no serious symptoms were reported. All four authors are listed with Takara Bio Inc.
- Bioavailability of plant pigment phytochemicals in Angelica keiskei in older adults: A pilot absorption kinetic study. Nutr Res Pract. 2014;8(5):550-7. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2014.8.5.550.PubMedUsed to support: Single-dose absorption study in 10 older adults (5 healthy, over 60, and 5 with metabolic syndrome) who took 5 g of dry Angelica keiskei powder in capsules with a low-flavonoid liquid meal. Plasma quercetin rose at several time points and plasma lutein at 8 hours versus baseline, and total antioxidant performance increased. No placebo group; measures were compared with baseline.
- Analysis of plasma metabolic profiling and evaluation of the effect of the intake of Angelica keiskei using metabolomics and lipidomics. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019;243:112058. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112058.PubMedUsed to support: Metabolomics analysis of plasma from 20 people after intake of Angelica keiskei. Five plant compounds were detected in plasma: the furanocoumarins 5-methoxypsoralen and 8-methoxypsoralen, and the chalcones 4-hydroxyderricin, xanthoangelol B and xanthoangelol F; 14 plasma metabolites changed, including kynurenic acid, prostaglandin E1, the bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid and several phospholipids. This shows absorption of these compounds, not a health effect.
- Safety of ashitaba sap as a Novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA J. 2024;22(3):e8645. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8645.PubMedUsed to support: EU safety opinion on the sap squeezed from harvested ashitaba stems, applied for by Japan Bio Science Laboratory (JBSL)-USA. The sap contains 1 to 2.25 percent chalcones (xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin) and under 0.01 percent furanocoumarins; the marketed powder is about 30 percent sap powder and 70 percent cyclodextrins, standardized to at least 8 percent chalcones, proposed at 200 mg a day. No genotoxicity concern. In the rat 90-day study, platelet counts fell and clotting times lengthened at higher doses, and the panel set a NOAEL of 100 mg/kg a day. It set a safe intake of 35 mg a day of the marketed powder (137 mg of sap) for adults, below the proposed use; pregnant and breastfeeding women were excluded. The human studies, at up to 220 mg a day, raised no safety concern but had limitations.
- Toxicological assessment of Ashitaba Chalcone. Food Chem Toxicol. 2015;77:111-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2014.12.021.PubMedUsed to support: Animal and lab toxicology of ashitaba yellow sap powder containing 8.45 percent chalcones. Bacterial, chromosome aberration and mouse micronucleus tests were negative for genotoxicity. In a 90-day rat gavage study, effects on coagulation and plasma lipids appeared at 300 and 1000 mg/kg a day, with a dose-related, male-rat-specific kidney change (alpha 2u-globulin nephropathy) at 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg a day and jejunal lymphangiectasia at the top dose; the author set a NOAEL of 300 mg/kg. Animal data.
- Anti-platelet effects of chalcones from Angelica keiskei Koidzumi (Ashitaba) in vivo. Pharmazie. 2016;71(11):651-654. doi: 10.1691/ph.2016.6678.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study: ashitaba exudate and its main chalcone xanthoangelol suppressed the shortening of tail bleeding time caused by lipopolysaccharide, a model of platelet activation, while trace chalcones (xanthoangelols B, D, E and F) did not. Animal data; relevant to caution with blood thinners.
- [Determination of vitamin K in aojiru (green juice) products by HPLC]. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2006;47(2):85-8. doi: 10.3358/shokueishi.47.85.PubMedUsed to support: Survey of 41 Japanese aojiru (green juice) products, made from green vegetables such as kale, ashitaba, mulberry leaf and barley grass. Vitamin K1 ranged from 410 to 3,300 micrograms per 100 g in powders and 640 to 3,100 in tablets, giving estimated intakes of about 20 to 250 micrograms a day from powders. The authors advise people prescribed warfarin to take care with vitamin K intake from these products. Products were not reported by plant.
- Dietary supplement product composed of natural ingredients as a suspected cause of erythema multiforme: A case report and identification for the confident false positivity of lymphocyte transformation test. J Dermatol. 2019;46(3):234-239. doi: 10.1111/1346-8138.14739.PubMedUsed to support: Case report of an older Japanese man who developed erythema multiforme after taking a Euglena-containing supplement whose ingredients included Euglena, Angelica keiskei, barley grass and chlorella. A lymphocyte test was positive, but healthy volunteers who had never taken the product tested positive at a similar rate, so the authors concluded the test was unreliable; no single ingredient was shown to be the cause.
- The flavonoid 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone promotes autophagy-dependent longevity across species. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):651. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08555-w.PubMedUsed to support: Lab and animal study of the purified chalcone 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone (DMC). Added DMC extended the lifespan of yeast, worms and flies (median lifespan of worms and flies by about 20 percent), slowed senescence of human cells in culture and protected mice from prolonged heart ischemia, effects that depended on autophagy. DMC was detected in the stems and leaves, but not the roots, of Angelica keiskei. Four authors are scientific co-founders of Samsara Therapeutics. No human data.
- Angelica keiskei Impacts the Lifespan and Healthspan of Drosophila melanogaster in a Sex and Strain-Dependent Manner. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023;16(5):738. doi: 10.3390/ph16050738.PubMedUsed to support: Fruit fly study: an Angelica keiskei extract extended lifespan and improved reproductive fitness in female flies, but had no effect on or decreased survival and physical performance in males, depending on strain. It protected both sexes against the toxin paraquat, and the female lifespan effect depended on an insulin signaling gene. Animal data.
- Two Prenylated Chalcones, 4-Hydroxyderricin, and Xanthoangelol Prevent Postprandial Hyperglycemia by Promoting GLUT4 Translocation via the LKB1/AMPK Signaling Pathway in Skeletal Muscle Cells. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2024;68(5):e2300538. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202300538.PubMedUsed to support: Cell and mouse study: in rat muscle cells, 4-hydroxyderricin and xanthoangelol increased glucose uptake and movement of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface through the LKB1/AMPK pathway, and oral doses blunted the blood glucose rise in an oral glucose tolerance test in mice. Lab and animal data.
- The pharmacology activities of Angelica keiskei Koidzumi and its efficacy and safety in humans. Heliyon. 2024;10(2):e24119. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24119.PubMedUsed to support: Narrative review of ashitaba pharmacology and human studies. Its table of human studies lists the dose in the Korean trial in habitual drinkers as 500 mg of extract twice daily for 12 weeks and notes small falls in red blood cells (1.2 percent) and hemoglobin (1.3 percent). It also lists a two-week add-on trial of 1.5 g a day of ashitaba capsules (500 mg three times daily) in 10 adults with type 2 diabetes that found no glucose-lowering effect, published outside PubMed. It describes the ChalCurb trial's ghrelin result in men as significant, whereas the trial paper reports p = 0.062 for ghrelin in both sexes combined.