Arjuna for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet
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Arjuna for Health & Longevity

Created on 08/29/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 – Audit

Indian tree bark, used for heart complaints for over two thousand years. Firmest human findings: lower total and harmful cholesterol in people not on cholesterol drugs, and a lighter main pumping chamber. Claims about angina (chest pain) and pumping strength are contested. Stomach irritation and constipation recur. Thyroid, liver, platelet and drug-clearance concerns rest on animal and cell studies. (Full Review)

Protocol

Classical cardiology dose
500 mg every 8 hours
Bark extract or bark powder; the most widely replicated regimen
Standardized extract dose
400 mg once daily
Standardized aqueous bark extract; the basis for most Western capsule products
Best time of day
With meals
Blunts gastric irritation; endurance dosing 60–90 minutes before training
Time to effect
Blood lipids
30 days
Total and LDL cholesterol fall
Left ventricular mass
3 months
Chamber-mass change
Endothelial function
2 weeks
Endothelial change in smokers

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnancy and lactation
  • Untreated or unstable hypothyroidism, or thyroid-stimulating hormone above the laboratory reference range
  • Bleeding disorders, or a platelet count below 100 × 10⁹/L
  • Symptomatic hypotension, or a seated systolic pressure below 100 mmHg
  • Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class C)
  • Scheduled surgery within 14 days
  • Decompensated heart failure (New York Heart Association Class IV)
    •
Key Interactions
  • Antihypertensive drugs: amlodipine, lisinopril, losartan, telmisartan
  • Antidiabetic drugs: insulin, sulfonylureas (glipizide, glimepiride), metformin
  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets: warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel, ticagrelor
  • Narrow-margin CYP3A4 substrates: tacrolimus, ciclosporin, simvastatin; CYP2C9 substrates (warfarin, phenytoin)
  • Levothyroxine and antithyroid drugs
  • Over-the-counter medication: aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen), antacids, iron tablets
  • Supplements with additive blood-pressure or cardiac effects: hawthorn, hibiscus, dietary nitrate, magnesium, potassium, coenzyme Q10
  • Supplements with additive bleeding or glucose effects: fish oil, ginkgo, garlic, nattokinase, high-dose vitamin E, berberine, cinnamon, chromium
  • Other interventions: elective surgery, dental extraction, endurance training

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Gastrointestinal intolerance
    •
  • Medium: Additive glucose lowering with antidiabetic therapy
    •
  • Low: Additive blood-pressure lowering
    •
  • Speculative: Increased bleeding tendency; thyroid hormone suppression; liver oxidative stress at high doses; impaired testicular steroidogenesis; drug clearance interference via enzyme inhibition

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
LDL cholesterol < 100 mg/dL, < 70 mg/dL with established coronary disease The primary demonstrated benefit
Total cholesterol : HDL ratio < 3.5 Captures the lipid shift better than either value alone
Triglycerides < 100 mg/dL Fell alongside inflammatory markers in coronary disease
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein < 1.0 mg/L Tracks the anti-inflammatory signal
Thyroid-stimulating hormone 1.0–2.0 mIU/L Detects the rodent-derived thyroid suppression signal
Free thyroxine Upper half of the laboratory reference range Confirms or excludes a real thyroid shift if the pituitary signal moves
Alanine aminotransferase < 25 U/L in men, < 20 U/L in women Detects the high-dose liver stress seen in animals
Platelet count 150–400 × 10⁹/L Covers the platelet-inhibition and platelet-count signal
Fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin < 90 mg/dL and < 5.4% Tracks the glucose-lowering effect and its additive risk
Seated blood pressure 110–120 / 70–80 mmHg Detects both benefit and excessive lowering
Left ventricular ejection fraction and mass Ejection fraction 55–70%; mass < 95 g/m² in women, < 115 g/m² in men The two cardiac endpoints trials actually moved
International normalised ratio No established target for arjuna; track change from the individual's own pre-arjuna value Detects the interaction with warfarin

Cadence: Blood pressure weekly for the first month and monthly thereafter; lipids, glycated haemoglobin, thyroid panel, liver enzymes and platelet count at 12 weeks and then every 6–12 months; echocardiography annually where one was performed at baseline.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Frequency and severity of exertional chest discomfort, if present at baseline
  • Perceived exertion at a fixed workload, using the same route, pace or machine setting
  • Breathlessness on stairs or on level ground at a fixed distance
  • Day-to-day energy and end-of-day fatigue
  • Ankle swelling and overnight urination frequency, where heart failure is the indication
  • Bruising, gum bleeding and nosebleeds
  • Bowel regularity and upper abdominal discomfort
  • Cold intolerance, dry skin and unexplained weight gain, which would point toward the thyroid signal
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.