Magnolia Bark Extract
Magnolia bark extract comes from the bark of Magnolia officinalis, a tree used in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains the compounds honokiol and magnolol.
Also listed as Saiboku-to, Honokiol, Magnolol, Magnolia Officinalis
What it is studied for
The strongest rated effects first. Bars show the size of the effect, the letter grades the evidence, and each rating lists the studies behind it.
What is in magnolia bark?
Magnolia officinalis bark contains honokiol and magnolol. In cell experiments, these compounds reduced inflammatory signaling. Such findings explain research interest but do not establish relief of inflammation-related symptoms in people. 1
Why people take it
SuppCo community snapshot, 2026-09-28. Reasons for use are not evidence that it works.
Questions people ask
Is the trial dose a dose for plain magnolia?
No. The tested 500 mg daily preparation combined magnolia with phellodendron and specified both honokiol and berberine content. 2
Did lower cortisol mean better sleep?
Not consistently. The six-week pilot found neither a cortisol nor a sleep advantage over placebo. 3
Are honokiol’s laboratory effects proven benefits?
No. Findings in cells provide hypotheses; they do not establish symptom relief from an oral supplement. 1
Sources
- Magnolia officinalis Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013