Fisetin Benefits: What Studies Show, and What They Don't

Quick answer

Fisetin benefits, in short: Fisetin is a plant pigment found in small amounts in strawberries and some other fruits and vegetables. It is popular in longevity circles because, in mice and in lab dishes, it appeared to clear out “senescent” cells, which are worn-out cells that stop dividing and may drive age-related decline. Old mice given fisetin lived longer [1]. In people, the evidence is far thinner: a handful of small trials in specific groups (for example, people with colorectal cancer or obesity) looked at blood markers, and one trial in veterans with Gulf War illness found no symptom benefit [5][6][7]. No human trial has shown that fisetin slows aging, and safety is not well established [3]. We rate the evidence E: animal and lab evidence only for the aging claim.

What is fisetin?

Fisetin is a flavonol, a type of plant compound. Foods contain only small amounts, so supplements use concentrated or purified fisetin. Your body absorbs plain fisetin poorly. In a small study of 15 healthy volunteers, a specially formulated product delivered about 27 times more fisetin into the blood than unformulated fisetin [4]. That means the amount on the label may not tell you how much you absorb.

“Senolytic” means a substance that selectively removes senescent cells. This is an active research area, but it is still experimental in humans.

Fisetin benefits: what might it help with?

Possible benefit	Rating	In plain words
Clearing old “senescent” cells	Early (animal or lab only)	Reduced senescence markers in old mice and in human fat tissue samples in the lab [1][2]
Living longer	Early (animal or lab only)	Extended lifespan in old mice [1]. No human trial
Blood vessel health	Early (animal or lab only)	Better arterial function in old mice [2]
Inflammation markers	Early	Small human trials, in cancer patients and obese men, reported lower markers, but they were small and specific groups [5][6]
Symptoms in a chronic illness	No clear benefit	No benefit in veterans with Gulf War illness [7]

Ratings describe how good the research is, not a promise that it will work for you.

What the research says

• Mouse and lab studies. Of 10 plant compounds tested, fisetin was the strongest senolytic in cells. In old mice it reduced senescence markers and extended lifespan, and it also reduced senescence in samples of human fat tissue in the lab [1]. PubMed A second mouse study found better blood vessel function and less arterial stiffness [2]. PubMed
• Review. A 2024 review concluded that safety, how the body processes fisetin, and effectiveness still need to be established in people. Two of its authors hold patents on senolytic drugs [3]. PubMed
• Absorption. In 15 healthy volunteers, a single dose of a special formulation delivered far more fisetin into the blood than plain fisetin, and no adverse events were reported in that short study [4]. PubMed
• Colorectal cancer patients. In 37 people having chemotherapy, 100 mg a day for about 7 weeks was linked to lower levels of two inflammation markers compared with placebo. The trial was small and only measured blood markers [5]. PubMed
• Obese men. In 44 men, 200 mg a day for 12 weeks (with or without exercise training) changed several inflammation and blood sugar markers. It was small, and the effect of fisetin was mixed with that of exercise [6]. PubMed
• Gulf War illness. In 21 veterans, fisetin did not reduce symptom severity at either dose tested [7]. PubMed

Amounts and how people take it

These are amounts used in studies, not recommendations.

• Form: capsules of purified fisetin, or strawberry or other plant extracts that supply fisetin.
• Amounts in trials: 100 mg a day for 7 weeks [5], 200 mg a day for 12 weeks [6], and a single dose of a formulation supplying about 192 mg in an absorption study [4].
• Online “protocols”: you may see high-dose, short-burst schedules promoted for senolytic effects. We did not find published human trials that establish such a schedule, so we don’t recommend one.

Side effects, interactions and who should check first

What trials found

No adverse events were reported in the short absorption study [4], but the human trials are small, so rare or long-term side effects could be missed. Safety has not been established in the long term [3].

Who should check with a doctor or pharmacist first

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you:

• take any regular medicine. We did not find human studies testing fisetin with medicines, so interactions are unknown rather than ruled out
• are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, or are under 18. We found no reliable safety data in these groups
• have cancer, or are having chemotherapy. The one trial in cancer patients was run under medical supervision [5], so don’t try it on your own
• have a long-term condition, such as kidney or liver disease. We did not find studies in these groups.

Where can I buy it?

Availability varies by country; not on the UK’s authorized novel foods list, and reported as an unauthorized novel food in the EU [8][9][10].

We don’t link to any fisetin products.

FAQ

What is fisetin?

Fisetin is a plant pigment (a flavonol) found in small amounts in strawberries and some other fruits and vegetables [1]. Because foods contain so little, supplements use concentrated or purified fisetin. It is popular in longevity circles because of mouse and lab research on “senescent” (worn-out) cells.

Does fisetin work?

In mice and lab dishes it reduced markers of worn-out “senescent” cells, and old mice given it lived longer [1][2]. No human trial has shown that it slows aging, and one trial in veterans with Gulf War illness found no symptom benefit [7]. We rate the evidence E.

How much fisetin per day?

Small trials used 100 mg a day for 7 weeks [5] and 200 mg a day for 12 weeks [6]. We didn’t find published human trials that support the high-dose online schedules, so we don’t recommend one. These are amounts used in studies, not recommendations.

Who should not take fisetin?

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you take any regular medicine, are pregnant, breastfeeding or under 18, have cancer or are having chemotherapy, or have a long-term condition such as kidney or liver disease. We found no reliable safety data for these groups [3][5].

Should you take fisetin with food?

We found no human trial that tested fisetin with or without food, so we can’t give a rule. Plain fisetin is absorbed poorly, and a specially formulated product delivered about 27 times more fisetin into the blood in a small study of 15 volunteers [4]. The label amount may not tell you how much you absorb.

Related pages

• Quercetin: another plant flavonol studied in senolytic research
• NMN: another longevity supplement, information only
• Longevity supplements for beginners: where this fits in a beginner’s routine
• All supplements A-Z

Talk to your doctor

This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take any medicine, or have a health condition.

References

We cite only studies and official pages we checked against PubMed, the publisher or the agency’s own site. The A to E evidence grades are explained in our editorial policy. See also our medical disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.

1. Yousefzadeh MJ, Zhu Y, McGowan SJ, Angelini L, et al. Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan. EBioMedicine. 2018. PubMed · DOI
2. Mahoney SA, Venkatasubramanian R, Darrah MA, Ludwig KR, et al. Intermittent supplementation with fisetin improves arterial function in old mice by decreasing cellular senescence. Aging Cell. 2024. PubMed · DOI
3. Tavenier J, Nehlin JO, Houlind MB, Rasmussen LJ, et al. Fisetin as a senotherapeutic agent: Evidence and perspectives for age-related diseases. Mech Ageing Dev. 2024. PubMed · DOI
4. Krishnakumar IM, Jaja-Chimedza A, Joseph A, Balakrishnan A, et al. Enhanced bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of a novel hybrid-hydrogel formulation of fisetin orally administered in healthy individuals: a randomised double-blinded comparative crossover study. J Nutr Sci. 2022. PubMed · DOI
5. Farsad-Naeimi A , Alizadeh M , Esfahani A , Darvish Aminabad E . Effect of fisetin supplementation on inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinase enzymes in colorectal cancer patients. Food Funct. 2018. PubMed · DOI
6. Alipour M, Saeidi A, Hejazi K, Laher I, et al. 12‑weeks fisetin supplementation and interval resistance with aerobic training: changes in Maresin‑1 and inflammatory markers in men with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2026. PubMed · DOI
7. Hodgin KS, Donovan EK, Kekes-Szabo S, Lin JC, et al. A Placebo-Controlled, Pseudo-Randomized, Crossover Trial of Botanical Agents for Gulf War Illness: Resveratrol (Polygonum cuspidatum), Luteolin, and Fisetin (Rhus succedanea). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021. PubMed · DOI
8. Rosapharma. Novel Food Status Catalogue updates, December 2025 (new entry: mixture of plant extracts and purified bioactive substances including fisetin (≥98%) isolated from Cotinus coggygria bark: unauthorised novel food; secondary summary of the European Commission catalogue). rosapharma.pt (accessed 1 November 2026)
9. TrovaClaim. EU Novel Food Catalogue entry for Fisetin, POL-NF-16002 (status: novel food; secondary mirror of the European Commission catalogue). trovaclaim.it (accessed 1 November 2026)
10. Food Standards Agency. Authorised novel food register (search: fisetin; no authorisation found). data.food.gov.uk (accessed 1 November 2026)