Butterfly pea flower

Also called Clitoria ternatea, butterfly pea tea, blue tea, anchan, blue pea flower, butterfly pea flower extract.

Best grade D across 3 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 8 sources

Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) is a blue flower used for tea and as an FDA-listed food colour. Two small single-dose trials found 1 to 2 g of extract blunted the glucose and insulin rise after a sugar drink; 2 g also lowered triglycerides after a high-fat meal. Long-term human data are lacking, and most traditional-use research is preclinical.

Every graded outcome on this page

3 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade DDiabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin)Diabetes distressn 90
  2. Grade DTriglycerides, glucose and antioxidant status after a high-fat mealBlood fatsn 16
  3. Grade DBlood glucose, insulin and antioxidant capacity after a sugar drinkBlood sugarn 15

Key facts

US food colour
FDA lists butterfly pea flower extract as a colour additive for drinks, sweets, snacks and other foods (21 CFR 73.69)5
Sugar drink trial
1 to 2 g of extract blunted the 30-minute glucose and insulin rise after 50 g sucrose in 15 healthy men1
Fat meal trial
2 g lowered post-meal triglycerides after a high-fat meal in 16 overweight or obese men; glucose did not change2
12-week tea study
Tea from 5 or 10 g of flowers with metformin lowered diabetes-distress scores vs metformin alone in an open study of 90 adults (no placebo)8
Traditional use
Used in Ayurveda as a memory enhancer, anxiolytic and sedative7
Evidence base
A 2025 review notes that most evidence is preclinical, with limited clinical validation6

What it is

Butterfly pea is the blue flower of Clitoria ternatea, a climbing legume, brewed as tea and used as a natural blue food colour.

How it works

Proposed

The blue petals are rich in anthocyanins, the main colouring component of the FDA-listed extract. Trial authors attribute the blunted glucose and fat responses to antioxidant activity and to inhibition of carbohydrate- and fat-digesting enzymes seen in laboratory tests. This has not been confirmed in people.521

Forms, side by side

3 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Butterfly pea flower forms compared

3 forms
Butterfly pea flower forms compared: 3 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
3 formsExtract (powder)Extract as a food colour or teaAnthocyanin mouth gel (butterfly pea with purple waxy corn)
Absorption in peoplePlasma antioxidant capacity rose within hours of a single dose.12Not studied.5Applied in the mouth rather than swallowed as a supplement.34
GI toleranceAdverse effects are not described in the trial abstracts; extract alone did not lower fasting glucose.1Permitted as a colour additive in listed foods at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice.5Tested in two placebo-controlled oral-wound trials.34
Studied forPost-meal glucose and blood fatsColouring drinks and foodsOral wounds
  1. Butterfly pea flower extract (powder)
    Absorption in people
    Plasma antioxidant capacity rose within hours of a single dose.12
    GI tolerance
    Adverse effects are not described in the trial abstracts; extract alone did not lower fasting glucose.1
    Studied for
    Post-meal glucose and blood fats
  2. Butterfly pea flower extract as a food colour or tea
    Absorption in people
    Not studied.5
    GI tolerance
    Permitted as a colour additive in listed foods at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice.5
    Studied for
    Colouring drinks and foods
  3. Anthocyanin mouth gel (butterfly pea with purple waxy corn)
    Absorption in people
    Applied in the mouth rather than swallowed as a supplement.34
    GI tolerance
    Tested in two placebo-controlled oral-wound trials.34
    Studied for
    Oral wounds
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

3 graded outcomes, largest study first

3 graded outcomes: 2 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2026 open-label trial of 90 people on diabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin), found an improvement.

1. Diabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin): improved, 90 people13. Blood glucose, insulin and antioxidant capacity after a sugar drink: improved, 15 people3
2. Triglycerides, glucose and antioxidant status after a high-fat meal: mixed, 16 people2

1Diabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin)

Improved · Grade D · Open-label trial, 90 people, 2026

Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin with moderate diabetes distress (DDS-17 score 2 to 3)

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Diabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin)Improved90Grade D · Open-label trial, 2026Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin with moderate diabetes distress (DDS-17 score 2 to 3)
Triglycerides, glucose and antioxidant status after a high-fat mealMixed16Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2021Overweight and obese young men
Blood glucose, insulin and antioxidant capacity after a sugar drinkImproved15Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2018Healthy young men
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

3 rows
Grade DDiabetes distress and oxidative-stress markers in type 2 diabetes (tea added to metformin)Diabetes distressLower distress scoresOpen-label trial
n 90 · 2026

Improved Mean total DDS-17 distress scores at 12 weeks were 1.65 (5 g) and 1.8 (10 g) vs 2.7 with metformin alone (full text, Table 2). The paper also reports lower serum protein carbonyls and higher urinary 5-HIAA with the tea, but several of these comparisons are made against healthy controls.

Design
Open-label trial, n = 90, 2026
Population
Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin with moderate diabetes distress (DDS-17 score 2 to 3)
Form
Tea brewed from dried butterfly pea flowers
Dose
Tea from 5 g or 10 g of flowers (daily per the abstract; the methods describe servings after breakfast and dinner)
Duration
12 weeks
Source
Reference 8 · PubMed 42153010 (opens PubMed)
Grade DTriglycerides, glucose and antioxidant status after a high-fat mealBlood fatsLower post-meal triglycerides at 2 gCrossover RCT
n 16 · 2021

Mixed 2 g lowered the triglyceride area under the curve and free fatty acids at 360 minutes and raised plasma FRAP and thiols. Post-meal glucose and inflammatory cytokines did not differ between meals.

Design
Crossover RCT, n = 16, 2021
Population
Overweight and obese young men
Form
Butterfly pea flower extract added to a high-fat meal vs the meal alone
Dose
1 or 2 g extract (single dose)
Duration
Acute (6 hours)
Source
Reference 2 · PubMed 34681074 (opens PubMed)
Grade DBlood glucose, insulin and antioxidant capacity after a sugar drinkBlood sugarSmaller post-sugar glucose riseCrossover RCT
n 15 · 2018

Improved With sucrose, both 1 g and 2 g of extract suppressed plasma glucose and insulin at 30 minutes; plasma antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ORAC, TEAC, protein thiols) rose and malondialdehyde fell. Extract alone did not change fasting glucose or insulin.

Design
Crossover RCT, n = 15, 2018
Population
Healthy young men
Form
Butterfly pea flower extract in 400 mL water, alone or with 50 g sucrose
Dose
1 or 2 g extract (single drink)
Duration
Acute (3 hours)
Source
Reference 1 · PubMed 29310631 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Promising but acute

Both oral trials gave a single dose before one meal to about 15 young men; whether daily use changes long-term glucose or blood fats is unknown.12

How we got this: Evidence table on this page

Mouth gels are a separate question

Two placebo-controlled trials (68 orthodontic patients; 60 adults with oral wounds) found faster wound closure with anthocyanin gels combining butterfly pea and purple corn.34

How we got this: Topical trials

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1 g to 2 g of butterfly pea flower extract, given once with a sugar drink or a high-fat meal, to tea brewed from 5 g or 10 g of dried flowers (daily per the abstract) for 12 weeks in people with type 2 diabetes on metformin. These are research doses, not recommendations.128

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Butterfly pea flower and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Butterfly pea flower.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

4 groups
People on glucose-lowering medicines
A single 1 to 2 g dose reduced the glucose and insulin rise after a sugar drink. One 12-week open study added the tea to metformin without reported liver or kidney test problems, but blood-sugar effects with other diabetes drugs have not been tested.18
People on blood thinners
A 2008 review lists platelet aggregation-inhibiting activity among the reported pharmacological effects of Clitoria ternatea extracts. No human trial cited here measured bleeding or tested butterfly pea with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, so any added effect is theoretical; check with your prescriber before combining them.7
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No reliable data: the oral trials enrolled young men or adults with diabetes and report no pregnancy or breastfeeding data, and LactMed has no entry for butterfly pea.128
Anyone expecting long-term benefits
Two oral trials used single doses and the only 12-week study had no placebo group; a 2025 review calls for human studies to confirm efficacy and safety.1286
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks
Tea vs extract

The trials used 1 to 2 g of extract rather than brewed tea. FDA permits the extract as a food colour, which is not a health claim.125

Topical products

Oral-wound gels in trials combined butterfly pea with purple waxy corn extract, so they do not show effects of butterfly pea alone.34

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, butterfly pea flower included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers
Does butterfly pea lower blood sugar?

In one trial, 1 to 2 g of extract with a sugar drink reduced the 30-minute glucose and insulin rise in 15 healthy men. A 12-week open study in people with type 2 diabetes on metformin focused on distress and oxidative-stress markers; no placebo-controlled long-term trial exists.18

Does it lower blood fats?

A 2 g dose lowered post-meal triglycerides after a high-fat meal in 16 overweight or obese men.2

Does butterfly pea help memory?

It is used in Ayurveda as a memory enhancer, but the human trials cited here did not test memory, and a 2025 review says most evidence is preclinical.76

Is butterfly pea safe?

FDA permits the extract as a food colour. In a 12-week open study of tea brewed from 5 or 10 g of flowers, liver and kidney tests showed no adverse events; otherwise supplement-dose safety has been studied only after single doses.5812

Does butterfly pea interact with diabetes or blood-thinning medicines?

No interaction has been studied. It blunted post-sugar glucose in one trial, and a 2008 review lists anti-platelet activity of Clitoria extracts, so effects on top of glucose-lowering or blood-thinning drugs are possible but untested.17

What is butterfly pea flower?

The blue flower of Clitoria ternatea, brewed as tea and used as a natural blue food colour; it is also a traditional Ayurvedic herb.57

Sources

8 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

8 sources
  1. 1Acute effect of Clitoria ternatea flower beverage on glycemic response and antioxidant capacity in healthy subjects: a randomized crossover trial.Crossover RCT BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 · PMID 29310631
  2. 2Clitoria ternatea Flower Extract Attenuates Postprandial Lipemia and Increases Plasma Antioxidant Status Responses to a High-Fat Meal Challenge in Overweight and Obese Participants.Crossover RCT Biology (Basel), 2021 · PMID 34681074
  3. 3Topical oral wound healing potential of anthocyanin complex: animal and clinical studies.RCT Ther Deliv, 2018 · PMID 29681233
  4. 4Anthocyanin complex niosome gel accelerates oral wound healing: In vitro and clinical studies.RCT Nanomedicine, 2021 · PMID 34214683
  5. 521 CFR 73.69 Butterfly pea flower extractGuideline US Food and Drug Administration (eCFR), 2021 · ecfr.gov
  6. 6Clitoria ternatea: Perspectives on Its Application in Foods and Potential Health Benefits.Review Plants (Basel), 2025 · PMID 41225871
  7. 7The Ayurvedic medicine Clitoria ternatea--from traditional use to scientific assessment.Review J Ethnopharmacol, 2008 · PMID 18926895
  8. 8A clinical study on Clitoria ternatea tea therapy to manage diabetic distress in people with type 2 diabetes.Open-label trial Avicenna J Phytomed, 2026 · PMID 42153010

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

4 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
evidence, studied doses, key facts, who should avoid, FAQ, questions, relatedAdded a 2026 12-week open study in 90 adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin (tea from 5 or 10 g of flowers lowered distress scores vs metformin alone; grade D, no placebo, inconsistent reporting; distress scores from the full text) and widened studied doses to match. Pregnancy and breastfeeding note now states no reliable data and no LactMed entry; diabetes-medicine and long-term notes updated; added an interactions FAQ, page questions and a goal-hub link. Interactions checked: no LiverTox, LactMed, NCCIH or MedlinePlus entry and no documented interaction, so the list stays empty (theoretical glucose and platelet cautions stay under who should be careful). PubMed search (2019–2026) found no other human oral trial; a 2025 mulberry-plus-butterfly-pea study was in rats and a 2024 shampoo study was topical, so neither was added.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
who should avoidBleeding safety sweep: added a theoretical blood-thinner caution. Re-checked against the abstract of PMID 18926895 (extracts listed as blood platelet aggregation-inhibiting); no human bleeding data in the cited trials.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: safety sweep
allIndependent adversarial review: summary now says only the 2 g dose lowered post-meal triglycerides.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review
allInitial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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