Luteolin: What This Plant Flavonoid May Do for Inflammation and Brain Health

A yellow flavonoid found in celery, thyme, and green peppers, luteolin is best studied for its anti-inflammatory effects in the brain.

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By the Ration Editorial Team · Reviewed against primary research · Updated July 14, 2026

Luteolin is a plant flavonoid that belongs to the flavone subclass, related to compounds like apigenin.

It gives many fruits and vegetables their yellow pigment.

You will find it naturally in foods like celery, green peppers, parsley, thyme, and chamomile tea.

Researchers have been interested in luteolin mainly because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, especially in the context of brain health.

Luteolin appears to act on several inflammatory pathways at once.

In cell and animal studies, it has been shown to calm microglia, the immune cells of the brain, and reduce markers of neuroinflammation^[2][4].

It also seems to ease endoplasmic reticulum stress, a cellular process linked to protein misfolding and neurodegeneration^[1].

Some research points to effects beyond the brain itself, including interactions with the gut microbiota and liver that may influence brain inflammation through what is sometimes called the gut-liver-brain axis^[3].

Most of what we know about luteolin comes from mouse models and laboratory cell cultures, not human clinical trials.

In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, luteolin reduced markers of neuroinflammation and improved measures of cognitive function^[1][3].

Separate rodent studies of neurotrauma and cognitive dysfunction found similar anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects^[2][4].

In vitro work has also looked at ways to boost luteolin's anti-inflammatory activity, such as combining it with LED light exposure, which enhanced its effects on inflammatory cells in one lab study^[5].

Our database tracks luteolin's effect on C-reactive protein, a common blood marker of systemic inflammation.

• ↓C-Reactive ProteinDPreliminary

  Research may lower C-Reactive Protein · strong agreement · 5 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Protection against Alzheimer's disease by luteolin: Role of brain glucose regulation, anti-inflammatory activity, and the gut microbiota-liver-brain axis (2021)
  • Neuroprotective effects of flavone luteolin in neuroinflammation and neurotrauma (2021)
  • Luteolin alleviates cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease mouse model via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent neuroinflammation (2022)
  • LED enhances anti-inflammatory effect of luteolin (3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) in vitro (2018)
  • Luteolin Could Improve Cognitive Dysfunction by Inhibiting Neuroinflammation (2018)

The consensus across five sources points toward a decrease in C-reactive protein, but the evidence grade is D, meaning the data are limited and inconsistent. This is not a settled result.

• Celery and celery seed
• Green bell peppers
• Parsley
• Thyme and other herbs in the mint family
• Chamomile tea
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Olive oil
• Standalone luteolin supplements, often extracted from perilla leaf or artichoke

Dietary intake of luteolin from food is generally modest and considered safe as part of a normal diet.

Supplement forms provide much higher concentrations than you would get from food alone, and these have not been studied nearly as extensively in humans.

There is no established human dose for luteolin, since almost all dosing data comes from animal studies using amounts scaled to body weight.

Supplement products on the market often contain doses in the range of 50 to 500 mg, but these amounts are based on manufacturer choices rather than clinical trial evidence.

Because human pharmacokinetic data is sparse, it is hard to say what dose, if any, would replicate the effects seen in mouse studies.

Luteolin from foods appears safe, as it has been part of human diets for a very long time.

Supplement forms at concentrated doses have not been well studied for long-term safety in people.

Animal studies have not raised major red flags at the doses tested, but this does not fully translate to guarantees of human safety^[1][3][4].

People taking medications metabolized by the liver, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, may want to be especially cautious given the lack of human safety data.

• People interested in dietary sources of anti-inflammatory flavonoids
• Researchers and clinicians following early-stage neuroinflammation research
• Those already eating flavonoid-rich foods like celery, parsley, and thyme as part of a varied diet
• People curious about emerging research on cognitive aging, while understanding the evidence is still preclinical

Luteolin is a promising research compound, particularly for its potential role in calming neuroinflammation in animal models^[1][2][3][4].

Its possible effect on C-reactive protein is worth watching, but the current evidence grade is weak^[5].

Human clinical trials are largely missing, so claims about cognitive or anti-inflammatory benefits in people remain unproven.

Getting luteolin through foods like celery, parsley, and herbal teas is a reasonable way to include it in your diet while research on concentrated supplements continues.

27 foods with measured values · compiled from published research · updated as the literature grows