NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Mulberry

Morus alba

Antioxidant berry whose leaf blunts sugar spikes

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup (140 g)

140gSERVING
  • Water 122.8 g88%
  • Sugars 11.3 g8%
  • Fibre 2.4 g2%
  • Protein 2 g1%
  • Fat 0.5 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C57%Iron14%Riboflavin (B2)11%Vitamin K9%Vitamin E8%Potassium6%Magnesium6%Fiber9%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
60 kcal2 g protein2.4 g fiber0.5 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C51 mg57%
Iron2.6 mg14%
Riboflavin (B2)0.14 mg11%
Vitamin K11 mcg9%
Vitamin E1.2 mg8%
Potassium272 mg6%
Magnesium25 mg6%
Fiber2.4 g9%
Calcium55 mg4%
Copper0.08 mg9%
Sugars11 g23%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Mulberry?

Mulberry (Morus alba) is a fruit used for blunts post-meal glucose spikes (mulberry-leaf dnj inhibits intestinal alpha-glucosidase). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. The best-supported human effect of Morus alba is glycemic: a meta-analysis of 13 RCTs found mulberry-derived products significantly cut postprandial glucose at 30, 60 and 90 minutes, and controlled trials show standardized leaf extract (~12 mg 1-deoxynojirimycin) lowers the glucose and insulin rise after a sugar or carbohydrate-rich meal by roughly 20-40%. A 12-week dose-finding RCT in obese borderline-diabetics found small but significant reductions in fasting glucose (~3.9 mg/dL) and HbA1c (~0.11%), though glucose tolerance itself was unchanged. Crucially, most of this evidence comes from concentrated mulberry-LEAF extract, not the fresh fruit (a sweet berry); the fruit's glycemic value is inferred and far less studied. Lipid and longer-term cardiometabolic benefits remain inconsistent and unproven, and the same meta-analysis found no change in fasting glucose, HbA1c, HOMA-IR or any lipid marker. Trials are mostly small, short, industry-linked, and use varying extracts and doses, so effects on hard outcomes are unestablished. The fruit itself is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie berry notable for vitamin C and iron, but its specific health claims rest largely on extrapolation from leaf and in-vitro data.

Purported Benefits

✓Blunts post-meal glucose spikes (mulberry-leaf DNJ inhibits intestinal alpha-glucosidase)
✓Modestly lowers fasting glucose and HbA1c in prediabetes/T2D over weeks
✓Reduces post-meal insulin demand when taken with carbohydrate
✓Good source of vitamin C and iron for a fresh berry
✓High anthocyanin/polyphenol content with antioxidant activity
✓May modestly improve lipid markers (preliminary, inconsistent)

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 cup fresh fruit (~140 g); glycemic trials use mulberry-leaf extract standardized to ~12 mg DNJ before carbohydrate meals
Active Compounds
1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) and related iminosugar alkaloids (leaf)Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside)Flavonols (rutin, quercetin, kaempferol glycosides)Chlorogenic acid and other hydroxycinnamic acidsVitamin C (ascorbic acid)Iron and other minerals (potassium, magnesium)Carotenoids and lutein+zeaxanthinResveratrol and stilbenes (bark/root, minor in fruit)

Safety & Cautions

Generally recognized as safe as a food. Concentrated mulberry-leaf extracts commonly cause dose-dependent GI effects (bloating, flatulence, loose stools) from carbohydrate malabsorption. Because leaf DNJ lowers post-meal glucose, people on insulin or sulfonylureas should monitor for additive hypoglycemia and consult a clinician. Theoretical additive effect with acarbose/miglitol (same alpha-glucosidase mechanism). White mulberry pollen and fruit can trigger allergy in sensitized individuals; unripe fruit and other plant parts contain latex-like sap that may irritate. Safety of high-dose extracts in pregnancy/lactation is not established. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Mulberry with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Phimarn 2017 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 13 RCTs: Morus alba significantly reduced postprandial glucose at 30 min (MD -1.04 mmol/L), 60 min (-0.87) and 90 min (-0.55); no change in fasting glucose, HbA1c, HOMA-IR or any lipid marker.
Randomized controlled trial Cherta-Murillo 2025 ✓ Full text
Crossover RCT (28 analyzed) in healthy middle-aged Chinese adults: milk with mulberry-leaf extract, oil and inulin cut early (0-60 min) glucose iAUC by 25% and insulin by 22% vs skim milk; full 0-180 min glucose iAUC unchanged.
Randomized controlled trial Venugopal 2024 ✓ Full text
Crossover RCT in 85 healthy adults: a white-mulberry-leaf + apple-peel extract before a sucrose drink reduced glucose iAUC by ~50% and before a carbohydrate meal by ~41% vs placebo over 120 min.
Randomized controlled trial Shinkawa 2025 ✓ Full text
Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover RCT (n=31, CGM): 2 weeks of mulberry-leaf/water-chestnut tea before meals lowered glucose variability (CV) and 1-h postprandial glucose AUC, with no hypoglycemia or lab abnormalities.
Randomized controlled trial Thaipitakwong 2020 ✓ Full text
12-week RCT in obese borderline-diabetics: 12 mg mulberry-leaf DNJ thrice daily lowered fasting glucose by 3.86 mg/dL and HbA1c by 0.11%; GI side effects (bloating, flatulence, loose stools) were common; glucose tolerance unchanged.
Randomized controlled trial Gheldof 2022 ✓ Full text
Crossover RCT with continuous glucose monitoring: 250 mg mulberry-leaf extract taken with a 510 kcal meal cut the postprandial glucose response by 34% (vs 26% when taken 5 min before).
Randomized controlled trial Park 2022 ✓ Full text
Double-blind crossover RCT (n=36 healthy): single dose of Mori ramulus (mulberry twig) extract lowered blood glucose at 240 min after a high-fat/sucrose challenge and modulated insulin and inflammatory markers.
Randomized controlled trial Kimura 2007 ✓ Full text
RCT in healthy adults: single 0.8-1.2 g dose of DNJ-enriched mulberry powder (12-18 mg DNJ) before 50 g sucrose significantly suppressed both the postprandial glucose rise and insulin secretion.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Mulberry

What is Mulberry used for?

Mulberry is most often taken for Blunts post-meal glucose spikes (mulberry-leaf DNJ inhibits intestinal alpha-glucosidase), Modestly lowers fasting glucose and HbA1c in prediabetes/T2D over weeks, Reduces post-meal insulin demand when taken with carbohydrate, Good source of vitamin C and iron for a fresh berry. Antioxidant berry whose leaf blunts sugar spikes

Does Mulberry work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. The best-supported human effect of Morus alba is glycemic: a meta-analysis of 13 RCTs found mulberry-derived products significantly cut postprandial glucose at 30, 60 and 90 minutes, and controlled trials show standardized leaf extract (~12 mg 1-deoxynojirimycin) lowers the glucose and insulin rise after a sugar or carbohydrate-rich meal by roughly 20-40%. A 12-week dose-finding RCT in obese borderline-diabetics found small but significant reductions in fasting glucose (~3.9 mg/dL) and HbA1c (~0.11%), though glucose tolerance itself was unchanged. Crucially, most of this evidence comes from concentrated mulberry-LEAF extract, not the fresh fruit (a sweet berry); the fruit's glycemic value is inferred and far less studied. Lipid and longer-term cardiometabolic benefits remain inconsistent and unproven, and the same meta-analysis found no change in fasting glucose, HbA1c, HOMA-IR or any lipid marker. Trials are mostly small, short, industry-linked, and use varying extracts and doses, so effects on hard outcomes are unestablished. The fruit itself is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie berry notable for vitamin C and iron, but its specific health claims rest largely on extrapolation from leaf and in-vitro data.

What is the typical dose of Mulberry?

1 cup fresh fruit (~140 g); glycemic trials use mulberry-leaf extract standardized to ~12 mg DNJ before carbohydrate meals

Is Mulberry safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally recognized as safe as a food. Concentrated mulberry-leaf extracts commonly cause dose-dependent GI effects (bloating, flatulence, loose stools) from carbohydrate malabsorption. Because leaf DNJ lowers post-meal glucose, people on insulin or sulfonylureas should monitor for additive hypoglycemia and consult a clinician. Theoretical additive effect with acarbose/miglitol (same alpha-glucosidase mechanism). White mulberry pollen and fruit can trigger allergy in sensitized individuals; unripe fruit and other plant parts contain latex-like sap that may irritate. Safety of high-dose extracts in pregnancy/lactation is not established.

How many studies support Mulberry?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Mulberry, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Mulberry (Morus alba): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/mulberry

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_mulberry,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Mulberry (Morus alba): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/mulberry},
  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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