Bitter orange

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Supplement side effects²

  In people, animals and lab studies, bitter orange extract and p-synephrine showed no serious side effects directly linked to them.

• Concern

  Blood pressure and weight loss³

  In people, bitter orange raised blood pressure with longer use and did not help weight loss.

• No harm found

  Heart effects⁴

  About 30 human studies found bitter orange extract did not affect the heart at usual doses.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Gut health⁵

  A woman got painful gut problems after taking bitter orange in a weight-loss supplement.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.