What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving About 5 fruits (50 g)
Water46.6 g94%
Sugars1 g2%
Fibre0.3 g1%
Other carbs1.2 g2%
Protein0.4 g1%
Fat0.2 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) is a fruit used for vitamin c / antioxidant source. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Bilimbi is an intensely sour Southeast Asian fruit traditionally used as a culinary acidulant and folk remedy for diabetes, hypertension and inflammation. It is genuinely rich in vitamin C (around 48 mg/100 g) and contains flavonoids, phenolics and carotenoids that show antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activity in vitro. The most cited pharmacology comes from rodent studies: ethanolic leaf extract lowered blood glucose ~50%, lowered triglycerides and raised HDL in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, and fruit fractions attenuated hyperglycemic oxidative stress comparably to metformin. However, there are essentially no human clinical trials for any of these benefits, so efficacy in people is unproven. The dominant human evidence is in fact harm: multiple case reports and a 10-patient case series document acute oxalate nephropathy and kidney failure after drinking concentrated bilimbi juice, owing to its very high oxalic-acid content (the fruit is roughly 0.8–1.5% oxalic acid by weight, among the highest of common fruits). As a small culinary garnish the fruit is generally fine, but it should not be treated as a supplement or consumed as concentrated juice, especially on an empty stomach or by anyone with kidney disease.
Purported Benefits
✓Vitamin C / antioxidant source
✓Blood-glucose lowering (animal data only)
✓Lipid-lowering & HDL-raising (animal data only)
✓Antihypertensive effect (preclinical)
✓Antimicrobial activity (in vitro)
✓Anti-inflammatory potential (preclinical)
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
A few fruits (~5–50 g) used as a souring agent in cooking; no established therapeutic dose. Concentrated juice should be avoided.
Extremely high oxalic-acid content: laboratory analyses report roughly 8.5–14.7 mg/g (≈850–1,470 mg per 100 g of fruit), with oxalic acid making up 90–95% of total fruit acids and far higher concentrations in pressed juice. Drinking the juice—particularly fasting, dehydrated, or in large amounts—has caused acute oxalate nephropathy and acute kidney injury, with several reported patients requiring dialysis. Avoid in chronic kidney disease, prior kidney stones, dehydration, or with nephrotoxic drugs. Theoretical additive effects with antidiabetic and antihypertensive medications. Use only as a small culinary souring agent, not as a supplement or juice. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Bilimbi with any medicine.
Bilimbi is most often taken for Vitamin C / antioxidant source, Blood-glucose lowering (animal data only), Lipid-lowering & HDL-raising (animal data only), Antihypertensive effect (preclinical). Sour tropical fruit; kidney-risk oxalate bomb
Does Bilimbi work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Bilimbi is an intensely sour Southeast Asian fruit traditionally used as a culinary acidulant and folk remedy for diabetes, hypertension and inflammation. It is genuinely rich in vitamin C (around 48 mg/100 g) and contains flavonoids, phenolics and carotenoids that show antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activity in vitro. The most cited pharmacology comes from rodent studies: ethanolic leaf extract lowered blood glucose ~50%, lowered triglycerides and raised HDL in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, and fruit fractions attenuated hyperglycemic oxidative stress comparably to metformin. However, there are essentially no human clinical trials for any of these benefits, so efficacy in people is unproven. The dominant human evidence is in fact harm: multiple case reports and a 10-patient case series document acute oxalate nephropathy and kidney failure after drinking concentrated bilimbi juice, owing to its very high oxalic-acid content (the fruit is roughly 0.8–1.5% oxalic acid by weight, among the highest of common fruits). As a small culinary garnish the fruit is generally fine, but it should not be treated as a supplement or consumed as concentrated juice, especially on an empty stomach or by anyone with kidney disease.
What is the typical dose of Bilimbi?
A few fruits (~5–50 g) used as a souring agent in cooking; no established therapeutic dose. Concentrated juice should be avoided.
Is Bilimbi safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Extremely high oxalic-acid content: laboratory analyses report roughly 8.5–14.7 mg/g (≈850–1,470 mg per 100 g of fruit), with oxalic acid making up 90–95% of total fruit acids and far higher concentrations in pressed juice. Drinking the juice—particularly fasting, dehydrated, or in large amounts—has caused acute oxalate nephropathy and acute kidney injury, with several reported patients requiring dialysis. Avoid in chronic kidney disease, prior kidney stones, dehydration, or with nephrotoxic drugs. Theoretical additive effects with antidiabetic and antihypertensive medications. Use only as a small culinary souring agent, not as a supplement or juice.
How many studies support Bilimbi?
NutriDex cites 11 sources for Bilimbi, graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/bilimbi
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_bilimbi,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/bilimbi},
note = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.