Cross-referencing clinical data
A pairing appears on this page only when a trial gave both ingredients together and measured the result. Frangula has none that clears that bar.
Stitching two separate single-ingredient studies into a pairing is the one thing this engine will not do. When a study of the combination itself holds up at source, it lands here with its citation.
No invented synergy. Where actives were studied on their own rather than together, the record shows each on its own evidence, never a combined effect no trial measured.
Research strength. Research strength says how much work stands behind the combination. It is never a product score.
Independent record. Every finding is cited to a named trial, dated, and never written by the brand.
20 pairings are live across the library today. Checked 20 July 2026.
No study gave these as a pair, so they are not in the card above. But the reason they belong together is settled biochemistry, not a guess, so it is worth knowing.
Glucofrangulins A and B pass the small intestine largely unabsorbed. Colonic bacteria remove the sugars and reduce emodin to its anthrone form, which is the active species. Bacterial capacity therefore sets how much of a given dose does anything. This is the same conversion step the whole anthranoid class depends on.
More luminal water and faster transit mean the colon reclaims less potassium. Single occasional use is not where this shows up; repeated use over weeks is. Blood potassium is a laboratory measure, not something noticed early. This is a central reason the class is positioned for short courses.
Magnesium salts at laxative doses draw water into the lumen while frangula anthranoids act on motility and secretion. The two stack rather than balance. Magnesium taken for other reasons at ordinary supplemental doses sits well below the laxative range, so the concern is specific to high-dose magnesium salts. Fluid and electrolyte shifts compound in the same way.
Psyllium adds stool mass and holds water mechanically, and it holds up over long periods without adaptation. Frangula acts on the enteric nervous system and is built for short use. Fibre as the base with the stimulant reserved for occasional use is the conventional structure. Taken simultaneously they are hard to titrate apart.
Glycyrrhizin increases renal potassium excretion by letting cortisol act at the mineralocorticoid receptor. Anthranoids increase faecal potassium losses. The additive risk is easy to overlook because the two sit in different product categories. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice does not carry it.
Non-heme iron uptake in the duodenum depends on residence time and local pH. Anything accelerating transit narrows that window. The direction follows from mechanism; the magnitude in intermittent use has not been quantified. Separating iron dosing from laxative timing settles the question without needing the number.
Cramping is the usual complaint with anthranoid laxatives, and menthol relaxes intestinal smooth muscle through calcium channel effects. Herbal laxative teas conventionally include a carminative for this reason. The pairing is practice with a plausible mechanism rather than a tested combination. It does not affect how much anthranoid gets converted.
Nothing specific on file for Frangula. Match the label to the daily amount above, and tell your doctor what you take.
Not medical advice. Show the label to your pharmacist.1 source behind our Frangula verdict: peer-reviewed studies and registered clinical trials. Every one links straight to PubMed, the journal, or ClinicalTrials.gov. Read them yourself.
Evidence surfaced via Semantic Scholar (Allen Institute for AI) and ClinicalTrials.gov. Ranked by study type and citation weight, not cherry-picked.
Read this carefully. These are 14,513 voluntary, unverified reactions reported to the FDA (openFDA). The number mostly reflects how popular Frangula is, not how risky it is. A report is not proof Frangula caused anything. It is a signal of what to watch for, nothing more.
Source: openFDA adverse-event reports. Voluntary reporting, not an incidence rate.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.