Parsley

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Urine after fried fish²

  In men who ate fried salmon, parsley in the same meal was linked to fewer mutagens in their urine.

• Benefit

  Antioxidant defences in the body⁴

  In people, eating parsley raised two antioxidant enzymes in the blood, but only a small share of apigenin came out in urine.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Liver and kidney protection⁶

  In animal and lab studies, parsley showed protective effects on the liver, kidneys and heart, but human evidence is still lacking.

• Open question

  Liver enzymes and drug interactions⁸

  In lab studies, apiole in parsley changed how rat liver enzymes broke down certain drugs and mutagens.

Study type not stated

• Concern

  Long-term supplement use⁵

  Parsley-based supplements contain apiol and similar compounds that may be a concern only if taken daily for a long time.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Heavy metals in herbs⁷

  Parsley grown in cadmium-polluted soil took up more arsenic and lead, which may build up in the body over time.

How it’s made and used

• How much gets absorbed³

  In people, only a small amount of apigenin from eating parsley reaches the blood.

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.