Ultimate Herbals Guide: Bitter Orange

Your Herb Guide to Bitter Orange

What is Bitter Orange?

This Herb Guide provides everything you need to know about the herb known as bitter orange- it’s common names, how and why it’s used, whether it works and what it works for best, research conducted, whether it’s safe to use as an herbal dietary supplement, and the potential side effects and cautions.

The bitter orange tree is native to eastern Africa and tropical Asia. Today, it is grown throughout the Mediterranean region and elsewhere, including California and Florida. Bitter orange oil is used in foods, cosmetics, and aromatherapy products(a therapy in which the scent of essential oils from flowers, herbs, and trees is inhaled to promote health and well-being).

Bitter orange oil from the tree’s leaves is called petitgrain, and oil from the flowers is called neroli.

Common Names – Bitter Orange, Seville Orange, Sour Orange, Zhi Shi

Latin Name - Citrus Aurantium

What health conditions is BItter Orange commonly thought to treat?

• Bitter orange has been used in traditional Chinese medicine – a whole medical system that originated in China that is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi.
• Bitter orange is also used by indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest for nausea, indigestion, and constipation.
• Current uses of bitter orange are for:
  • Heartburn
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nasal congestion
  • Weight loss.
  • It is also applied to the skin for fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot.

How is Bitter Orange used as an herbal dietary supplement?

The dried fruit and peel (and sometimes flowers and leaves) are taken by mouth in extracts, tablets, and capsules. Bitter orange oil can be applied to the skin.

What the Science Says

Does Bitter Orange work to help the conditions it’s commonly known to treat? Prove it!

• There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of bitter orange for health purposes.
• Many herbal weight-loss products now use bitter orange peel in place of ephedra. However, bitter orange contains the chemical synephrine, which is similar to the main chemical in ephedra. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra because it raises blood pressure and is linked to heart attacks and strokes; it is unclear whether bitter orange has similar effects. There is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra.

Side Effects and Cautions

Is Biiter Orange safe to take as an herbal dietary supplement to treat certain conditions?

What should I be careful of while supplementing my diet with Bitter Orange?

• Because bitter orange contains chemicals that may speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure, it may not be safe to use as a dietary supplement.
• There have been reports of fainting, heart attack, and stroke in healthy people after taking bitter orange supplements alone or combined with caffeine.
• People should avoid taking bitter orange if they have a heart condition or high blood pressure, or if they are taking medications (such as MAO inhibitors), caffeine, or other herbs/supplements that speed up the heart rate.
• Due to lack of safety evidence, pregnant women should avoid products that contain bitter orange.
• Bitter orange oil used on the skin may increase the risk of sunburn, particularly in light-skinned people.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Content Created/Medically Reviewed by our Expert Doctors