NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Magnolia Bark

Magnolia officinalis

GABA-active TCM bark studied for stress, anxiety and menopausal sleep.

Preliminary evidence 🌙Sleep & Mood

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Sleep & Mood
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: honokiol and magnolol are genuine GABA-A modulators and animal sleep data are convincing, but the human trials are short, small, industry-funded, and almost always test magnolia inside a combination product (soy isoflavones, phellodendron, magnesium) -- so the benefit attributable to magnolia alone is not yet established. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Magnolia Bark?

Magnolia Bark (Magnolia officinalis) is a sleep and mood supplement used for ease everyday stress. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Magnolia officinalis bark is a traditional Chinese medicine whose two neolignans, honokiol and magnolol, act as positive allosteric modulators of GABA-A receptors -- the same target as benzodiazepines, but milder. In mice, honokiol shortens sleep onset and increases NREM sleep without suppressing deep-sleep EEG. Human data are thinner and mostly combination products. A 634-woman menopause trial found adding 60 mg magnolia extract to isoflavones improved insomnia, anxiety and irritability, and a smaller 89-woman study echoed this. For stress, a 56-person trial of a magnolia-phellodendron blend (Relora) cut salivary cortisol ~18% and improved mood over 4 weeks, though a 40-person pilot found no cortisol change and only reduced transient anxiety. No meta-analysis or trial of isolated magnolia extract for sleep yet exists, so effect sizes specific to magnolia remain uncertain. Toxicology reviews rate honokiol and magnolol as safe at studied doses.

Purported Benefits

✓Ease everyday stress
✓Reduce mild anxiety
✓Improve menopausal sleep
✓Calm without sedation
✓Lower evening cortisol

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Improve menopausal sleep/insomniaTwo trials show benefit, but both used magnolia combined with isoflavones/magnesium, not isolated extract. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 2
Reduce anxietyCombination-product trials cut state anxiety, but a pilot found no change in trait anxiety; combos not isolated magnolia. Preliminary ↔ mixed · small 2
Lower cortisol / ease stressOne Relora RCT cut salivary cortisol ~18%; another found no cortisol change. Inconsistent and combination products. Preliminary ↔ mixed · small 2

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Stress/mood trials used ~250 mg 1-3x/day of a magnolia-phellodendron extract (Relora); menopause trials used 60 mg/day of bark extract, usually combined with other ingredients.
Active Compounds
HonokiolMagnololOther neolignans

Safety & Cautions

Generally well tolerated; reported effects include GI upset, heartburn and daytime drowsiness, with isolated reports of hand tremor, perioral numbness and thyroid changes. Because honokiol and magnolol act on GABA-A receptors, magnolia can add to the sedation of benzodiazepines, alcohol, sleep aids and other CNS depressants, and may theoretically increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants or antiplatelets. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and stop before surgery; use cautiously with thyroid medication. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Magnolia Bark with any medicine.

Key Studies

RCT Agosta 2011 ✓ PubMed
RCT, 634 menopausal women: isoflavones + magnolia extract beat isoflavones alone on insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depressed mood and libido.
RCT Talbott 2013 ✓ PubMed
RCT, 56 stressed adults: magnolia-phellodendron (Relora) cut salivary cortisol ~18% and improved mood vs placebo over 4 weeks.
RCT Mucci 2006 ✓ PubMed
Controlled trial, 89 menopausal women: 60 mg magnolia extract + magnesium improved psycho-affective and sleep disturbances vs calcium/vitamin D control.
RCT Kalman 2008 ✓ PubMed
Pilot RCT, 40 women: Relora reduced transient (state) anxiety but did NOT change salivary cortisol, trait anxiety or sleep quality.
Safety Sarrica 2018 ✓ PubMed
Safety review of 44 articles: magnolol and honokiol non-mutagenic, non-genotoxic; NOAEL >240 mg/kg/day; up to 1-year human use without adverse effects.
Review Borgonetti 2021 ✓ PubMed
Honokiol-enriched bark extract produced anxiolytic-like and neuroprotective effects in rodents, mediated by CB1 receptor modulation.
Review Qu 2012 ✓ PubMed
Honokiol shortened NREM sleep latency and increased NREM sleep in mice via the benzodiazepine site of GABA-A, without suppressing delta EEG.
Review Woodbury 2013 ✓ PubMed
Review: honokiol shows anxiolytic, analgesic, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective activity across preclinical models via GABA and other pathways.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Magnolia Bark

What is Magnolia Bark used for?

Magnolia Bark is most often taken for Ease everyday stress, Reduce mild anxiety, Improve menopausal sleep, Calm without sedation. GABA-active TCM bark studied for stress, anxiety and menopausal sleep.

Does Magnolia Bark work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Magnolia officinalis bark is a traditional Chinese medicine whose two neolignans, honokiol and magnolol, act as positive allosteric modulators of GABA-A receptors -- the same target as benzodiazepines, but milder. In mice, honokiol shortens sleep onset and increases NREM sleep without suppressing deep-sleep EEG. Human data are thinner and mostly combination products. A 634-woman menopause trial found adding 60 mg magnolia extract to isoflavones improved insomnia, anxiety and irritability, and a smaller 89-woman study echoed this. For stress, a 56-person trial of a magnolia-phellodendron blend (Relora) cut salivary cortisol ~18% and improved mood over 4 weeks, though a 40-person pilot found no cortisol change and only reduced transient anxiety. No meta-analysis or trial of isolated magnolia extract for sleep yet exists, so effect sizes specific to magnolia remain uncertain. Toxicology reviews rate honokiol and magnolol as safe at studied doses.

What is the typical dose of Magnolia Bark?

Stress/mood trials used ~250 mg 1-3x/day of a magnolia-phellodendron extract (Relora); menopause trials used 60 mg/day of bark extract, usually combined with other ingredients.

Is Magnolia Bark safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally well tolerated; reported effects include GI upset, heartburn and daytime drowsiness, with isolated reports of hand tremor, perioral numbness and thyroid changes. Because honokiol and magnolol act on GABA-A receptors, magnolia can add to the sedation of benzodiazepines, alcohol, sleep aids and other CNS depressants, and may theoretically increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants or antiplatelets. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and stop before surgery; use cautiously with thyroid medication.

How many studies support Magnolia Bark?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Magnolia Bark, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Magnolia Bark (Magnolia officinalis): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/magnolia-bark

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_magnolia_bark,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Magnolia Bark (Magnolia officinalis): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/magnolia-bark},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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