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Limited evidenceMen's health

Chrysin

A flavone from honey and propolis sold as a natural aromatase inhibitor to raise testosterone. It does inhibit aromatase in the test tube, but it is almost entirely destroyed by gut and liver metabolism, and the one human study found no change in testosterone at all.

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What the science says

  • No effect on testosterone in humans Limited evidence

    In the only published human study, men took chrysin-containing propolis and honey for 21 days; urinary testosterone was unchanged at 7, 14 and 21 days compared with baseline and with controls. The study was small and used food sources rather than an isolated high-dose extract, but it is the only human data available.

  • Very poor oral bioavailability Moderate evidence

    Pharmacokinetic reviews consistently report that oral chrysin undergoes extensive glucuronidation and sulfation in the intestine and liver, leaving very low plasma concentrations of the free compound. This is the standard explanation for why in vitro aromatase inhibition does not carry over into people.

  • Aromatase inhibition is a test-tube finding Limited evidence

    Chrysin inhibits aromatase in isolated enzyme and cell systems, which is where the marketing claim originates. No controlled human trial has shown a corresponding change in the oestradiol-to-testosterone ratio.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseSupplement labels typically suggest 500–3000 mg per day, stated as a label dose rather than a studied one. No dose has been shown to alter human hormone levels.
SafetyShort-term use appears well tolerated, but long-term human safety data are absent. Chrysin inhibits UGT and sulfotransferase enzymes in vitro and could in principle raise levels of drugs cleared by those pathways. People with hormone-sensitive conditions and anyone taking aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen should avoid self-medicating with it.

How to take it

TimingTiming does not matter.
With food?Take it with a meal containing fat, since chrysin is a poorly soluble flavonoid.
Worth knowingOral chrysin is barely absorbed — it is heavily conjugated in the gut wall, so blood levels stay very low whatever the label dose says.

Frequently asked questions

Does chrysin raise testosterone?

No evidence says it does: in the only human study, 21 days of chrysin-containing propolis and honey left urinary testosterone unchanged. Chrysin's aromatase inhibition is a test-tube finding.

Is chrysin a natural aromatase inhibitor?

Only in the lab. Oral chrysin is extensively metabolised in the gut and liver, leaving very low blood levels (moderate evidence), which explains why test-tube aromatase inhibition does not carry over to people.

How much chrysin per day?

Labels suggest 500–3000 mg of chrysin per day, a label dose rather than a studied one; no dose has been shown to alter human hormone levels. Chrysin is barely absorbed whatever the label says.

Is chrysin safe?

Short-term chrysin use appears well tolerated, but long-term safety data are absent, and it could in principle raise levels of drugs cleared by UGT and sulfotransferase enzymes. Avoid it if you have a hormone-sensitive condition or take aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen.

Scientific references

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