← All supplements
Limited evidenceHeart & metabolic

Fig Leaf Extract

Ficus carica leaf, traditionally taken as a decoction for diabetes in Mediterranean folk medicine. One very small human trial from 1998 and a handful of rodent studies are essentially the whole evidence base.

Where to buy

View on iHerb

Ships to 180+ countries · welcome discount for new customers

Referral link — this site may earn a commission on purchases.

What the science says

  • Blood glucose in type 1 diabetes Limited evidence

    A small randomized crossover trial in type 1 diabetic patients found that a fig-leaf decoction taken with breakfast lowered post-meal glucose and reduced insulin requirements slightly. It involved roughly ten participants and has never been replicated.

  • Mechanism in animal models Limited evidence

    A rat study reported that fig leaf extract altered GLUT-2 expression in pancreatic beta cells and liver in a streptozotocin-nicotinamide diabetes model. Animal mechanism data does not establish a clinical effect.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseThe 1998 trial used a decoction of fig leaves taken with breakfast; commercial extracts are typically sold at 250–500 mg once or twice daily, which is a label dose with no trial behind it.
SafetyFig leaf sap contains furocoumarins (psoralens) that cause phototoxic skin reactions on contact, and handling raw leaves in sunlight can cause burns. Because it may lower blood glucose, combining it with insulin or antidiabetic drugs risks hypoglycaemia. Avoid in pregnancy.

How to take it

TimingWith breakfast, which is how the one human trial dosed it.
With food?With food, since the effect studied was on the glucose response to a meal.
Worth knowingDo not handle fresh fig leaves or sap in sunlight — the psoralens in them cause genuine phototoxic burns, which is a real risk if you make your own decoction.

Interactions

With medications

  • insulin, sulfonylureas and other diabetes medication

    Fig leaf lowers blood glucose and can push you into hypoglycaemia on top of your drug. do not combine without medical supervision and glucose monitoring

With other supplements

  • berberine, cinnamon and other glucose-lowering supplements

    Additive blood-glucose lowering. do not stack several glucose-lowering products at once

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does fig leaf extract lower blood sugar?

Evidence for fig leaf extract and blood sugar is limited: one small 1998 crossover trial in roughly ten people with type 1 diabetes found a fig-leaf decoction with breakfast lowered post-meal glucose, and it has never been replicated. The rest of the evidence is rodent studies.

How much fig leaf extract should I take?

Fig leaf extract has no trial-backed capsule dose: commercial extracts are sold at 250–500 mg once or twice daily, which is a label dose only. The single human trial used a fig-leaf decoction taken with breakfast.

Is fig leaf extract safe with diabetes medication?

Fig leaf extract may lower blood glucose, so combining it with insulin, sulfonylureas or other diabetes medication risks hypoglycaemia. Do not combine them without medical supervision and glucose monitoring, and avoid fig leaf in pregnancy.

Can fig leaves burn your skin?

Yes: fig leaf sap contains furocoumarins (psoralens) that cause phototoxic skin reactions, and handling raw fig leaves in sunlight can cause burns. This is a real risk if you make your own fig leaf decoction.

Scientific references

Related in Heart & metabolic

Herbal medicines: what the evidence says (335)