Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba fruit)
Also called Ziziphus jujuba, Zizyphus jujuba, red date, Chinese date, da zao, jujube fruit.
Best grade C across 7 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked
The short answer
From 11 sourcesJujube, the dried red date, has been tested mainly in small Iranian and Israeli trials. In type 2 diabetes, dried fruit or a fruit infusion improved blood sugar and cholesterol over 12 weeks, and a 2025 pooled analysis found lower triglycerides. A liquid extract and a syrup improved constipation, but one trial lost most of its placebo group.
Every graded outcome on this page
7 rows · line = participants- CGrade CBMI, triglycerides, blood sugar and liver enzymes (pooled studies)Cholesterol and triglyceridesn 483
- CGrade CPregnancy rate and metabolic markers in infertile women with PCOSPCOSn 196
- CGrade CHbA1c and lipids in type 2 diabetesBlood sugarn 116
- CGrade CTreatment response in childhood functional constipationConstipationn 62
- CGrade CGlucose, lipids, waist and mood in metabolic syndromeMetabolic syndromen 60
- CGrade CFasting glucose and lipids in type 2 diabetesBlood sugarn 48
- DGrade DGut transit and symptoms in chronic constipationConstipationn 37
- 4 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter
Key facts
- Constipation
- A liquid jujube extract shortened gut transit over 12 weeks in 37 adults with chronic constipation, but 84% of the placebo group dropped out because of severe constipation1
- Children
- Jujube syrup scored better than polyethylene glycol (PEG) on treatment response, soiling and pain in 62 children aged 2-10 with functional constipation6
- Type 2 diabetes
- 30 g of dried jujube a day for 12 weeks lowered fasting glucose by 11% and LDL cholesterol by 8% from baseline, significantly more than control, in 48 adults4
- HbA1c
- Jujube fruit infusion three times daily with a calorie-reduced diet lowered HbA1c by 0.68 points vs 0.44 with diet alone in 116 adults5
- Pooled studies
- A 2025 meta-analysis of 7 studies (483 people) found lower BMI and triglycerides, lower fasting blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, and no change in liver enzymes10
- Metabolic syndrome
- 30 g/day of jujube powder did not change blood sugar, LDL or blood pressure over 8 weeks, but improved waist size, triglycerides and HDL (n=60)3
- PCOS and fertility
- In 196 infertile women with PCOS, 15 g/day of a jujube extract for 12 weeks improved glucose and lipids but did not raise pregnancy rates significantly11
What it is
Jujube is the fruit of Ziziphus jujuba, a small tree whose dried "red dates" are eaten as food and used in Chinese and Persian traditional medicine.
Forms, side by side
4 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba fruit) forms compared
4 forms| 4 forms | Dried fruit or fruit powder | Fruit infusion (tea) | Liquid extract or syrup | Hydroalcoholic extract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | Not measured.43 | Not measured.5 | Not measured.16 | Not measured.11 |
| GI tolerance | No adverse effects described in the abstracts at 30 g/day.43 | Not described in the abstract.5 | Few dropouts on jujube in the adult trial; no liver or kidney problems in children.16 | One participant stopped because of constipation; no serious adverse effects at 15 g/day for 12 weeks.11 |
| Studied for | Blood sugar, lipids | HbA1c, lipids | Constipation | PCOS: pregnancy rate, glucose, lipids |
- Dried fruit or fruit powder
- Studied for
- Blood sugar, lipids
- Fruit infusion (tea)
- Liquid extract or syrup
- Studied for
- Constipation
- Hydroalcoholic extract
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
7 graded outcomes, largest study first7 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 2 mixed. The largest, a 2025 meta-analysis of 483 people on BMI, triglycerides, blood sugar and liver enzymes (pooled studies), found an improvement.
1BMI, triglycerides, blood sugar and liver enzymes (pooled studies)
Improved · Grade C · Meta-analysis, 483 people, 2025
Participants in 7 clinical studies of jujube (searches to September 2023)
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI, triglycerides, blood sugar and liver enzymes (pooled studies) | Improved | 483 | Grade C · Meta-analysis, 2025 | Participants in 7 clinical studies of jujube (searches to September 2023) |
| Pregnancy rate and metabolic markers in infertile women with PCOS | Mixed | 196 | Grade C · RCT, 2026 | Infertile women aged 18-45 with PCOS, ovulation induced with letrozole (Iran); four arms of 49 |
| HbA1c and lipids in type 2 diabetes | Improved | 116 | Grade C · RCT, 2017 | Adults with type 2 diabetes on an energy-restricted diet (Iran) |
| Treatment response in childhood functional constipation | Improved | 62 | Grade C · RCT, 2025 | Children aged 2-10 with functional constipation (Iran); 62 of 90 completed |
| Glucose, lipids, waist and mood in metabolic syndrome | Mixed | 60 | Grade C · RCT, 2024 | Adults with metabolic syndrome (Iran) |
| Fasting glucose and lipids in type 2 diabetes | Improved | 48 | Grade C · RCT, 2022 | Adults aged 30-65 with type 2 diabetes (Iran) |
| Gut transit and symptoms in chronic constipation | Improved | 37 | Grade D · RCT, 2008 | Adults with chronic idiopathic constipation and slow transit (Israel) |
Every graded row
7 rowsShowing 7 of 7 outcomes. Human trials only.
CGrade CBMI, triglycerides, blood sugar and liver enzymes (pooled studies)Cholesterol and triglyceridesLower triglycerides and BMIMeta-analysis · 7 studies
n 483 · 2025
Improved Jujube lowered BMI and triglycerides, and lowered fasting blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups (by dose, duration and disease); HDL, AST and ALT did not change.
- Design
- Meta-analysis, 7 studies, n = 483, 2025
- Population
- Participants in 7 clinical studies of jujube (searches to September 2023)
- Form
- Jujube fruit (preparations varied by study)
- Dose
- Varied by study (not stated in the abstract)
- Duration
- Varied by study
- Source
- Reference 10 · PubMed 40399274 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CPregnancy rate and metabolic markers in infertile women with PCOSPCOSNo more pregnancies; better glucose and lipidsRCT
n 196 · 2026
Mixed Pregnancies did not differ significantly (10 with jujube, 7 metformin, 5 myoinositol, 4 placebo; p > 0.05). Fasting glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL improved more with jujube than in the other groups (p < 0.05); one woman on jujube stopped because of constipation and there were no serious adverse effects.
- Design
- RCT, n = 196, 2026
- Population
- Infertile women aged 18-45 with PCOS, ovulation induced with letrozole (Iran); four arms of 49
- Form
- Ziziphus jujuba hydroalcoholic extract vs metformin, myoinositol or placebo
- Dose
- 15 g/day
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 11 · PubMed 41618368 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CHbA1c and lipids in type 2 diabetesBlood sugarHbA1c down 0.24 points moreRCT
n 116 · 2017
Improved HbA1c fell 0.68 vs 0.44 points (p = 0.03); total cholesterol (-24.3 vs -11.2 mg/dL), triglycerides and LDL (-19.9 vs -6.6 mg/dL) also improved more.
- Design
- RCT, n = 116, 2017
- Population
- Adults with type 2 diabetes on an energy-restricted diet (Iran)
- Form
- Jujube fruit infusion plus diet vs diet alone
- Dose
- 10 g fruit in 100 mL boiling water, three times daily before meals
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 5 · PubMed 28271568 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CTreatment response in childhood functional constipationConstipationBetter than PEG on symptomsRCT
n 62 · 2025
Improved Treatment response, soiling episodes, pain scores and stool frequency improved more with jujube syrup than PEG (p < 0.05); no liver or kidney problems were seen.
- Design
- RCT, n = 62, 2025
- Population
- Children aged 2-10 with functional constipation (Iran); 62 of 90 completed
- Form
- Ziziphus jujuba syrup vs polyethylene glycol (PEG)
- Dose
- 1-5 mL/kg/day
- Duration
- 3 months
- Source
- Reference 6 · PubMed 39799261 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CGlucose, lipids, waist and mood in metabolic syndromeMetabolic syndromeWaist and triglycerides onlyRCT
n 60 · 2024
Mixed No change in fasting glucose, total or LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety; waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51), triglycerides, HDL and stress scores improved vs placebo.
- Design
- RCT, n = 60, 2024
- Population
- Adults with metabolic syndrome (Iran)
- Form
- Dried jujube powder vs placebo powder
- Dose
- 30 g/day in two portions
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Source
- Reference 3 · PubMed 38648942 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CFasting glucose and lipids in type 2 diabetesBlood sugarLower glucose and LDLRCT
n 48 · 2022
Improved Fasting glucose fell 11.4%, triglycerides 13.6%, total cholesterol 7.5% and LDL 7.7% from baseline, significantly more than control (p < 0.05); hs-CRP, HDL, BMI and IL-6 did not differ from control.
- Design
- RCT, n = 48, 2022
- Population
- Adults aged 30-65 with type 2 diabetes (Iran)
- Form
- Dried Ziziphus jujuba fruit vs control
- Dose
- 30 g/day
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 4 · PubMed 35623863 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DGut transit and symptoms in chronic constipationConstipationFaster gut transitRCT
n 37 · 2008
Improved Transit markers fell from 12.2 to 3 particles at week 11 with jujube; symptom severity fell from 6 to 2 (vs 6.2 to 5 with placebo). 2 of 18 on jujube and 16 of 19 on placebo dropped out for severe constipation.
- Design
- RCT, n = 37, 2008
- Population
- Adults with chronic idiopathic constipation and slow transit (Israel)
- Form
- Liquid Ziziphus jujuba extract vs placebo
- Dose
- Not stated in the abstract
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 1 · PubMed 19142004 (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.
One review, one trial
A 2023 meta-analysis of supplements for adult constipation found only one jujube trial, so no pooled estimate exists.2
Diet effects are hard to separate
The largest diabetes trial added jujube infusion to a calorie-reduced diet and compared it with the diet alone, without a placebo drink.5
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
When trials measured an effect
2 outcomes| Outcome | Measured at | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Gut transit in chronic constipation | Week 11 | Transit markers measured at week 11 of a 12-week trial of a liquid extract1 |
| Fasting glucose and lipids in type 2 diabetes | Week 12 (end of trial) | 30 g/day of dried fruit; blood tests at baseline and week 124 |
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 agentsNone found in our sources.
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Jujube and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Jujube.
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.
Who should be careful
6 groups- People with latex or jujube allergy
- Anaphylaxis has been reported after eating Indian jujube (a related Ziziphus species), and allergy to it has been linked to latex-fruit syndrome.7
- People with pollen allergy using jujube seed
- A man with pollinosis had anaphylaxis to a Chinese medicine decoction traced by skin testing to Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphus seed).8
- People on diabetes medicines
- Fasting glucose and HbA1c fell in two diabetes trials, so blood sugar may need watching if jujube is added; no interaction study exists.45
- Drug interactions
- No published drug-interaction studies were found, and LiverTox, LactMed and NCCIH have no jujube entry.3
- People taking sedatives or sleep medicines
- Jujube seed (Suan Zao Ren) is sold for sleep, and its saponins (jujubosides) lengthened drug-induced sleep in mice and increased sleep in rats. No human interaction study exists, but seed products could add to the drowsiness of sedatives, sleep medicines or alcohol (theoretical). The fruit trials on this page did not test this.98
How to read the label
What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.
How to read the label
2 checksFrequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
6 answersDoes jujube help constipation?
Does jujube lower blood sugar?
Can jujube cause allergies?
Is jujube safe? What are the side effects?
Trials of up to 12 weeks reported few problems: one woman stopped because of constipation in a 196-woman PCOS trial, no liver or kidney problems in children, and no change in the liver enzymes AST and ALT in a 2025 pooled analysis. Rare allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis to a related species, have been reported.116107
Does jujube interact with medicines?
Is jujube the same as jujube seed for sleep?
No. Sleep products use Ziziphus spinosa seed (Suan Zao Ren). This page covers the fruit of Ziziphus jujuba.8
Sources
11 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
11 sources- 1Ziziphus jujuba extract for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation: a controlled clinical trial.RCT Digestion, 2008 · PMID 19142004
- 2The effect of food, vitamin, or mineral supplements on chronic constipation in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Meta-analysis Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2023 · PMID 37243443
- 3The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health outcomes in patients with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.RCT Complement Ther Med, 2024 · PMID 38648942
- 4Effect of Ziziphus jujube on cardiometabolic factors and systemic inflammation in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized controlled trial.RCT Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2022 · PMID 35623863
- 5Effect of Ziziphus jujube Fruit Infusion on Lipid Profiles, Glycaemic Index and Antioxidant Status in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.RCT Phytother Res, 2017 · PMID 28271568
- 6Comparison of Ziziphus jujube Mill. Syrup versus polyethylene glycol in children with functional constipation: a randomized clinical trial.RCT Sci Rep, 2025 · PMID 39799261
- 7A rare case of anaphylaxis to Indian jujube (Ziziphus Mauritiana Lam).Observational Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol, 2020 · PMID 32565843
- 8Case Report: Anaphylaxis caused by traditional Chinese medicine in a patient with pollinosis.Observational Front Allergy, 2024 · PMID 39552699
- 9Hypnotic effect of jujubosides from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae.Animal study J Ethnopharmacol, 2010 · PMID 20347951
- 10Impact of jujube fruit on serum lipid profile, glycemic index, and liver function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis Nutr Diabetes, 2025 · PMID 40399274
- 11Effects of Ziziphus jujuba, metformin, and myoinositol on pregnancy rates and metabolic parameters in infertile women with PCOS: a randomized controlled trial.RCT J Ovarian Res, 2026 · PMID 41618368
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
3 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| evidence, key facts, forms, studied doses, who should avoid, FAQ, questions, time to effect, related | Added a 2025 meta-analysis of 7 jujube studies (483 people: lower BMI and triglycerides, lower fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes, no change in AST/ALT; grade C) and a 2026 PCOS fertility trial (196 women, 15 g/day extract for 12 weeks: no significant rise in pregnancies, better glucose and lipids; grade C), with a hydroalcoholic-extract form row and the 15 g/day dose in studied doses. Corrected the 2022 diabetes row: the 11.4% glucose and 7.7% LDL falls are changes from baseline (significant versus control), not differences from control. Rewrote the pregnancy note as a cited no-reliable-data statement. Interaction check: LiverTox, LactMed and NCCIH have no jujube entry and PubMed lists no human interaction study; the list stays empty. Added FAQ items on side effects and medicines, time-to-effect rows, page questions and goal-hub links. Not added: a 2023 urticaria trial (PMID 38094286; its control arm was a different jujube syrup, not a placebo), a 17-person pilot on tuberculosis-drug liver injury (PMID 34939363) and a 2022 skin trial of a five-herb syrup (PMID 35460145). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md |
| all | Initial 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 |
| evidence, safety | Adversarial review: added a sedative and sleep-medicine caution for jujube seed products (rodent jujuboside data, labelled theoretical). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: adversarial review |
Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.