Magnolia Bark Extract for Anxiety
Magnolia bark extract is not proven to relieve anxiety. The only human trials tested a magnolia-plus-phellodendron combination (Relora), were small and industry-funded, and showed at most modest, inconsistent effects on stress and mood—so any benefit cannot be attributed to magnolia bark itself.
Why this grade7-layer evidence engine
This claim earns a weak (Tier C) grade because direct human evidence for magnolia bark in anxiety is essentially absent. The only two randomized trials (PMID 23924268, n=56, 4 weeks; PMID 18426577, n=26, 6 weeks) tested the proprietary Relora blend of magnolia and Phellodendron (Amur cork tree), so neither can isolate magnolia's own effect. Both were small, short, industry-funded, and did not report effect sizes.
The signal that exists is thin and mixed. Talbott 2013 (PMID 23924268) reported modest improvements on some POMS mood subscales such as tension and fatigue versus placebo, but in moderately stressed (not clinically anxious) adults. Kalman 2008 (PMID 18426577) was a weight-management pilot in stress-eating women where anxiety was only a secondary, non-significant outcome. The popularized honokiol/magnolol anxiolytic mechanism rests mainly on animal and in vitro work, not human trials.
Authorities do not endorse it. The FDA has treated marketed magnolia/honokiol products as unapproved drugs in an enforcement warning letter, while EFSA, the NHS, WHO, NIH ODS, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Health, and psychiatric societies do not address it for anxiety at all. With benefit unconfirmed and a noted additive-sedation risk alongside alcohol or CNS depressants, the evidence supports caution rather than recommendation.
Scoring transparency
All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable▸View the full decision path (audit trail)
- compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.425
- tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
- apply_hec_rules — 無高階證據可裁決
- tier_strict_requirement_check — Tier 條件達標，未降階
- detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 1 個 soft dispute
- decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status