Evidence supporting the use of: Fringetree
For the body system: Gall Bladder

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Table of Contents

Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) has a long history of use in traditional Western herbal medicine, particularly in North America, to support the gall bladder and liver. Traditional herbalists have employed the bark of the fringetree as a cholagogue and mild bitter tonic, with the intention of stimulating bile flow and relieving symptoms associated with sluggish gall bladder function, such as jaundice, gallstones, and digestive disturbances. The Eclectic physicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries frequently recommended fringetree for "torpid" (sluggish) liver and gall bladder, though reports were largely anecdotal and based on clinical observation rather than controlled studies.

Despite its historical use, there is little modern scientific research to validate these traditional claims. Most references to fringetree’s efficacy for the gall bladder are found in herbal textbooks and old materia medica, rather than peer-reviewed scientific literature. The active compounds in fringetree, such as saponins and secoiridoid glycosides, may have mild choleretic (bile-stimulating) effects, but human clinical trials are lacking. For this reason, the evidence supporting fringetree’s use for gall bladder health remains largely traditional and anecdotal, meriting a moderate evidence rating at best. Anyone considering its use should consult a healthcare provider, especially in cases of known or suspected gallstones or biliary obstruction.

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