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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.

Evidence last reviewed: August 2026

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.

Scientific references

Where to buy

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