White Peony Root for Liver Health

Research suggests that white peony root and its active compound paeoniflorin may offer some liver-related benefits, based on a small collection of preclinical studies. A mouse study found that a multi-ingredient botanical supplement containing white peony root reduced liver fat accumulation and inflammation associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, while a separate laboratory study found that paeoniflorin suppressed the growth and spread of liver cancer cells through a specific receptor and signaling pathway. A third study, conducted in rats, examined how vinegar-processing of peony root affects the absorption of active compounds and the activity of liver enzymes involved in drug metabolism, offering neutral mechanistic information rather than a direct health claim. Studies indicate that the available evidence is entirely preclinical, consisting of animal and cell-based research with no human clinical trials, which means findings cannot yet be applied to human health outcomes and the role of white peony root specifically is difficult to isolate given that several studies examined it as part of multi-ingredient formulas.