Myricetin: The Plant Flavonoid Being Studied for Blood Sugar Control

This flavonoid found in berries, herbs, and red wine is showing consistent glucose-lowering effects in animal research.

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

Myricetin is a flavonol, a subclass of flavonoids found widely across the plant kingdom.

It shows up naturally in foods like berries, grapes, red wine, walnuts, and herbs such as parsley.

Like other flavonoids, including quercetin and kaempferol, myricetin is a polyphenol with antioxidant properties.

Researchers have become especially interested in its potential role in metabolic health, particularly its effects on fasting glucose and insulin.

One proposed mechanism involves the pancreas directly.

A 2025 study found that myricetin amplified glucose-stimulated insulin secretion through the cAMP-PKA-Epac-2 signaling pathway, a cascade that helps beta cells release insulin in response to rising blood sugar^[1].

Other research points to effects beyond the pancreas.

• Improving insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues^[3]
• Modulating gut microbiota composition in diabetic mice^[4]
• Protecting blood vessel lining cells from high-glucose-induced damage^[5]
• Influencing lipid metabolism alongside glucose control^[2]

This multi-target profile is part of why researchers describe myricetin as having 'multifunctional' therapeutic potential for type 2 diabetes^[3].

The clearest signal in the data relates to fasting glucose.

• ↓Fasting GlucoseAHuman trials

  Research may lower Fasting Glucose · strong agreement · 5 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Efficacy of Myricetin Supplementation on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of In Vivo Mice Studies (2024)
  • Myricetin Amplifies Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion via the cAMP-PKA-Epac-2 Signaling Cascade (2025)
  • Therapeutic potential of multifunctional myricetin for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (2023)
  • Myricetin relieves the symptoms of type 2 diabetes mice and regulates intestinal microflora (2022)
  • Myricetin ameliorates high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (2020)

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled results from in vivo mouse studies and found consistent improvements in both glucose and lipid metabolism markers after myricetin supplementation^[2].

A separate mouse study of type 2 diabetes found that myricetin eased disease symptoms while also shifting gut microflora, suggesting the gut may be part of how it exerts metabolic effects^[4].

At the cellular level, human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to high glucose showed less dysfunction when treated with myricetin, hinting at a vascular protective effect^[5].

It is worth being direct about the limits here.

Nearly all of this evidence comes from mice and isolated cells, not from randomized trials in people with diabetes or prediabetes.

The grade A consensus in our database reflects strong agreement across these studies on direction of effect, not proof that myricetin supplements will lower blood sugar in humans.

Myricetin is not something most people would supplement with directly, since it is naturally present in a range of common foods.

• Berries, especially blueberries and cranberries
• Grapes and red wine
• Walnuts
• Fresh herbs like parsley
• Tea, particularly certain green and black teas
• Fennel and other vegetables

A diet rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, and herbs likely provides some myricetin alongside other flavonoids like fiber-associated plant compounds and vitamin C.

There is no established human dose for myricetin as a supplement.

The doses used in the mouse studies cited above were calibrated for animal body weight and metabolism, and cannot be directly translated into a human supplement amount^[2][4].

Myricetin supplements do exist on the market, often as standalone capsules or as part of broader flavonoid blends, but dosing on these products is not backed by clinical trial data in people.

Myricetin from food sources like berries, tea, and herbs is considered safe, since these are foods humans have consumed for a long time.

Safety data on concentrated myricetin supplements in humans is limited, since the available research is mostly preclinical^[1][3][5].

As with many concentrated plant extracts, potential interactions with medications, including those for diabetes or blood clotting, have not been well studied in people.

Anyone managing diabetes or taking glucose-lowering medication should be cautious about adding a supplement that may also affect blood sugar.

• People curious about flavonoid-rich diets for general metabolic health
• Researchers and clinicians tracking emerging natural compounds for type 2 diabetes
• Anyone already eating berries, grapes, or tea regularly who wants to understand their components

Myricetin is not currently a substitute for established diabetes treatments or dietary approaches like increasing fiber or reducing refined carbohydrates.

Myricetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid with a genuinely interesting and consistent signal for lowering fasting glucose across animal and cell studies^{[1][2][3][4][5]}.

The mechanisms proposed, from boosting insulin secretion to protecting blood vessels and shifting gut bacteria, are biologically plausible and backed by early data.

Human trial evidence is still missing, so it is too early to treat myricetin supplements as a proven glucose management tool.

Enjoying myricetin through berries, tea, grapes, and herbs remains a reasonable way to include it as part of an overall healthy diet.