Citrus Bergamot: The Research, and Who's Behind It
Citrus bergamot is an Italian citrus fruit; its extract is sold to lower cholesterol. In the two cleanest recent trials, LDL fell 7% and 11.5% over four months, but a 2026 review rated the evidence low to very low. Each of those trials lists an author who works for a bergamot extract maker. Our pick: Zazzee Citrus Bergamot 200:1.
By Erin Rose Updated October 19, 2026 How we score
What to buy
Zazzee Citrus Bergamot 200:1 is our pick. Its label states at least 80% polyphenols, the most of the products we compare, and two capsules give 1,200 mg of extract a day. No trial tested this exact product.
Zazzee Citrus Bergamot 200:1
Our pick · 80% polyphenols
Want one on a public testing list? NSF/ANSI 173, which checks that a product matches its label, lists Double Wood’s citrus bergamot.
Double Wood Citrus Bergamot
NSF/ANSI 173
Where to go next
- Best citrus bergamot: the products we compared, ranked.
- Citrus bergamot dosage guide: how much trials used, with a calculator.
What citrus bergamot does
Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown mostly in southern Italy. Supplements use an extract of the fruit or peel, rich in flavonoids. Most trials tested it for cholesterol in adults with high levels.
| Goal | Evidence | What trials found |
|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol | Some, low quality | Two recent double-blind trials found LDL fell 11.5% and 7% over four months. A 2026 review of 9 trials found larger drops but rated the evidence low to very low. |
| Triglycerides | Mixed | The 2026 review found lower triglycerides, but a 12-week trial in older adults found no difference from a dummy pill. |
| HDL (“good”) cholesterol | Small effect | The 2026 review found HDL rose by about 6 mg/dL on average. |
| Blood sugar | Mixed | The 2026 review found lower fasting blood sugar in people with high cholesterol or metabolic syndrome; single trials disagree. |
Who ran the trials
Both recent double-blind trials list an author who works for Bionap, a bergamot extract maker (Spina 2024; Yu 2026). The 2026 review judged 6 of its 9 trials at poor risk of bias and said the results “should not be interpreted as establishing the clinical efficacy of bergamot” (Chambari 2026).
How long the trials ran
Trials lasted 30 days to six months; the longest we found ran six months (Toth 2016). The two cleanest measured after four months. Trials gave about 375 to 1,300 mg of extract a day; see the dosage guide.
Is citrus bergamot safe?
The recent four-month trials found no safety problems in liver, kidney, weight or blood pressure tests (Yu 2026). There is no long-term data. A few things to check:
- Statins and other cholesterol medicine: ask your doctor before adding bergamot, and do not stop a prescribed medicine.
- Diabetes medicine: some trials found lower blood sugar, so ask your doctor.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding: ask your doctor first.
Questions people ask
Is bergamot the same as Earl Grey tea?
Earl Grey is flavored with bergamot oil from the peel. Supplements use an extract of the fruit or peel, rich in flavonoids, and state its milligrams.
Can I take it with a statin?
Ask your doctor first. We found no study showing a harmful mix, and one small open-label trial added bergamot to rosuvastatin and saw a bigger LDL drop than the statin alone (Gliozzi 2013). Do not stop a statin on your own.
Sources
- Spina A, et al. “Citrus bergamia Extract, a Natural Approach for Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism Management: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” Foods. 2024. PubMed 39682955
- Yu X, et al. “Lipid Metabolism Modulation by a Flavonoid-Standardized Citrus Bergamia Extract in an Asian Population: Findings From a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” J Exp Pharmacol. 2026. PubMed 42592560
- Chambari M, et al. “Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Food Sci Nutr. 2026. PubMed 42746152
- Cai Y, et al. “Effects of 12-week supplementation of Citrus bergamia extracts-based formulation CitriCholess on cholesterol and body weight in older adults with dyslipidemia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Lipids Health Dis. 2017. PubMed 29273027
- Toth PP, et al. “Bergamot Reduces Plasma Lipids, Atherogenic Small Dense LDL, and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Moderate Hypercholesterolemia: A 6 Months Prospective Study.” Front Pharmacol. 2016. PubMed 26779019
- Gliozzi M, et al. “Bergamot polyphenolic fraction enhances rosuvastatin-induced effect on LDL-cholesterol, LOX-1 expression and protein kinase B phosphorylation in patients with hyperlipidemia.” Int J Cardiol. 2013. PubMed 24239156