Sumac

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Blood sugar control²

  In people with metabolic syndrome, sumac lowered fasting blood sugar, insulin and insulin resistance, but studies varied and more research is needed.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels³

  In people, taking sumac lowered total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, and raised HDL.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol and blood sugar⁴

  In adults, sumac supplements lowered cholesterol and insulin, but all the studies were done in Iran.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood sugar health⁵

  In people, sumac improved cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, but not inflammation.

• Open question

  Antioxidant defence in metabolic syndrome⁶

  In adults with metabolic syndrome, six weeks of sumac may have helped antioxidant defences, but not insulin resistance or inflammation.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure in adults⁷

  In adults with metabolic syndrome, taking sumac capsules lowered systolic blood pressure after six weeks.

• Benefit

  Liver scarring in fatty liver⁸

  In people with fatty liver, taking sumac powder daily alongside a low-calorie diet eased liver scarring and blood sugar markers.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and cholesterol in PCOS⁹

  In women with PCOS, sumac powder lowered blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation markers over 12 weeks.

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.