Jujube: a sweet fruit with a thin trial record

A 2025 meta-analysis of seven jujube trials, each 4 to 12 weeks long with 36 to 110 people and mostly run in Iran, found lower triglycerides (mean difference -1.87, 95% CI -3.22 to -0.53). Not every trial was randomized, the paper does not state the units, and the funnel plot points to publication bias. A separate placebo-controlled trial points the same way. In 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 1.1 oz (30 g) of dried jujube powder a day for 8 weeks cut triglycerides by 24.96 mg/dL against 0.73 on placebo (P = 0.03), and waist by 1.6 in (3.98 cm) against 0.51. Fasting glucose, total and LDL cholesterol and blood pressure did not fall significantly. It was a small trial, and its authors name weak spots in blinding and in checking the purity of the powder. Cholesterol is the claim you are more likely to have heard. In the same meta-analysis the pooled change in total cholesterol did not reach significance. In 116 adults with type 2 diabetes, a jujube fruit infusion (10 g in 3.4 fl oz (100 mL) of boiling water) three times a day for 12 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.68 points against 0.44 on diet alone. That is one open trial with no placebo, and both groups were also on a reduced-energy diet, so we cannot say how much of the gap belongs to the fruit. In 11 healthy young adults dried jujube had a glycemic index of 55, close to raisins and dried apricots at 56.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK composition tables list raw jujube flesh at 87 calories, 19.7 g sugars and 240 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — - (n = -) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g flesh: 87 calories, 19.7 g total sugars, 240 mg potassium, 0.6 mg iron
• USDA lists raw jujube at 69 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the dried Chinese jujube record reaches 217.6 mg. — - (n = -) Evidence E source
  Vitamin C 69 mg/100 g raw (FDC 168151), 217.6 mg/100 g dried

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for Fruits and Fruit Juices, drying keeps about 20 percent of vitamin C, while baking already dried fruit keeps 80 percent. — - (n = -) Evidence E source
  Vitamin C retained: FRUITS,DRIED 20%, FRUITS(DRIED),BAKED 80%, minerals 90 to 100%

What it does to your health

• In a randomized crossover trial in 11 healthy young adults, dried jujube had a glycemic index of 55, close to raisins and dried apricots at 56. — 11 healthy adults aged 18 to 25, single test meals with 50 g available carbohydrate (n = 11) Evidence B source
  GI 55 for dried jujube vs 43 dried apple, 56 raisins and dried apricot
• A 2025 meta-analysis of jujube trials found lower triglycerides (mean difference -1.87, 95% CI -3.22 to -0.53). — 7 clinical trials, 36 to 110 participants each, 4 to 12 weeks, mostly Iran (n = 7 trials) Evidence B source
  TG MD -1.87 (95% CI -3.22 to -0.53)
• In a case-control study of 2469 cases and 2559 controls in southern China, jujube used in herbal soup was among nine plants inversely associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. — 2469 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cases and 2559 population controls, Guangdong and Guangxi (n = 5028) Evidence C source
  OR range 0.31 to 0.79 across 9 soup plants including Ziziphus jujuba
• In an 8-week placebo-controlled trial in 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 1.1 oz (30 g) of dried jujube powder a day did not lower fasting glucose, total or LDL cholesterol or blood pressure, but improved waist circumference, triglycerides and HDL. — 60 adults with metabolic syndrome (30 jujube, 30 placebo), Iran, 8 weeks (n = 60) Evidence B source
  No effect on FBG, TC, LDL-C, BP, depression, anxiety (P > 0.05); WC -1.6 vs -0.2 in (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm) (P = 0.01), TG -24.96 vs -0.73 mg/dL (P = 0.03), HDL-C +2.83 vs +0.40 (P = 0.01), stress score -5.80 vs -2.86

Safety, limits and interactions

• In the same 12-week pediatric trial, no drug-related complications were recorded with jujube syrup, while vomiting and abdominal pain occurred in the polyethylene glycol group. — 30 children aged 2 to 10 on jujube syrup 1 to 5 cc/kg/day, 12 weeks (n = 62) Evidence B source
  0 drug-related complications in the jujube syrup group
• In a retrospective study of 1058 adults with swallowed esophageal foreign bodies in China, a swallowed jujube pit was a significant predictor of complications on weekdays. — 1058 adults with esophageal foreign body ingestion, Nanjing, 2012 to 2016 (n = 1058) Evidence C source
  Jujube shell independent predictor of complication on weekdays, p < 0.001
• Jujube pits made up 11.7 percent of swallowed esophageal foreign bodies on weekdays and 13.5 percent on holidays in 1058 adult cases at one Chinese hospital. — 1058 adults with esophageal foreign body ingestion, Nanjing, 2012 to 2016 (n = 1058) Evidence C source
  11.7% of cases on weekdays, 13.5% on holidays

What people believe that the data does not support

• The same 2025 meta-analysis found no significant overall effect of jujube on total cholesterol (mean difference -2.44, 95% CI -5.49 to 0.61). — 5 trials for cholesterol, 6 for LDL, 4 to 12 weeks (n = 5 trials) Evidence B source
  Cholesterol MD -2.44 (95% CI -5.49 to 0.61), not significant
• Neither the US 21 CFR 101 health claims nor the EU Register of nutrition and health claims contains any claim for jujube or Ziziphus. — - (n = -) Evidence E source
  0 claims under jujube, Ziziphus jujuba, Ziziphus, jujube fruit

Who this works differently for

• In a 12-week RCT in 116 adults with type 2 diabetes, jujube fruit infusion three times a day lowered HbA1c by 0.68 points vs 0.44 on diet alone. — 116 adults over 30 with type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks (n = 116) Evidence B source
  HbA1c -0.68 +/- 0.65 vs -0.44 +/- 0.55 %, p = 0.03; LDL -19.85 vs -6.55 mg/dL, p = 0.01
• In a 12-week double-blind RCT in 62 children aged 2 to 10 with functional constipation, jujube syrup gave a better treatment response score than polyethylene glycol (16.86 vs 11.62 at week 12). — 62 children aged 2 to 10 with functional constipation, Iran, 12 weeks (n = 62) Evidence B source
  Therapeutic response score week 12: 16.86 +/- 4.56 vs 11.62 +/- 2.73, p = 0.001

What is still unknown

• A 2026 review of sour jujube found that research focuses on the seeds, while the fruit itself remains understudied. — literature up to December 2024 (n = -) Evidence D source
  354 compounds catalogued, fruit research sparse

The bottom line

Raw jujube flesh is an ordinary sweet fruit: UK tables list 87 calories, 19.7 g sugars and 240 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g). USDA puts vitamin C in the raw fruit at 69 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), while the UK table gives 57 mg for the same food. The dried Chinese record reaches 217.6 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) because drying concentrates the fruit. The general USDA factor for dried fruit, which is set for the whole group and dates from 1975, keeps only about 20 percent of vitamin C through drying. The children's constipation trial tested a syrup made from the fruit, not the fruit itself. In 62 Iranian children aged 2 to 10, a jujube syrup beat polyethylene glycol on a treatment response score after 12 weeks (16.86 against 11.62). The syrup was a water and alcohol extract with added sucrose, and 28 of the 90 enrolled children dropped out. A case-control study of 5028 people in southern China linked jujube in herbal soup with lower odds of nasopharyngeal cancer, as one of nine soup plants with odds ratios between 0.31 and 0.79. The paper does not give jujube a figure of its own, and this is an association from memory of past diets. Who should be careful. The caution that shows up in the data is the pit. In 1058 adults treated for swallowed objects stuck in the esophagus at one hospital in Nanjing, jujube pits made up 11.7 percent of cases on weekdays and 13.5 percent on holidays, and a pit predicted complications on weekdays. In the children's syrup trial no drug-related complications were recorded in the jujube group, a secondary endpoint in a small sample. We found no study on jujube in pregnancy and no record of interactions with medicines, so both questions are open. Neither the US nor the EU register holds any health claim for jujube, and a 2026 review of sour jujube says the fruit itself remains understudied.

Sources

1. juj-daily-r5-10 · dataset
   Jujube, flesh only, CoFID 14-122: Energy (kcal) 87 · Carbohydrate (g) 19.7 · Total sugars (g) 19.7 · Potassium (mg) 240 · Iron (mg) 0.60 · Calcium (mg) 30 · Water (g) 76.7
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 14-122, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. juj-daily-r5-11 · dataset
   Jujube, raw (FDC 168151, SR Legacy, Fruits and Fruit Juices): vitamin C 69 mg per 100 g = 77% DV; copper 0.073 mg; carbohydrate 20.23 g; 2 records range vitamin C 69-217.6 mg (Jujube, Chinese, fresh, dried); Foundation samples 0
   USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 2018, FDC 168151 · checked 2026-09-29
3. juj-daily-r5-12 · dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:158 FRUITS,DRIED, group Fruits and Fruit Juices: vitamin_c_mg 20% retained, folate_total_ug 50%, thiamin_mg 70%, copper_mg 100%, potassium_mg 100%; USDA-RETN-R6:251 FRUITS(DRIED),BAKED: vitamin_c_mg 80% retained, folate_total_ug 60%, thiamin_mg 80%, copper_mg 90%, potassium_mg 90%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), codes 158 and 251 · checked 2026-09-29
4. juj-daily-r5-02 · randomized crossover trial
   The GI values of 4 DFs were 43 for DApp, 55 for DJ, 56 for both Ra and DApr.
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
5. juj-daily-r5-03 · meta-analysis
   Ultimately, the meta-analysis showed that jujube consumption is effective in reducing triglyceride levels (MD-1.87, 95% CI-3.22 to −0.53).
   Nutrition & Diabetes, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
6. juj-daily-r5-09 · case-control
   Inverse associations with NPC risk were detected with 9 herbal plants used in herbal soup, including Ziziphus jujuba, Fructus lycii, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Semen coicis, Smilax glabra, Phaseolus calcaratus, Morinda officinalis, and Atractylodes macrocephala (OR range, 0.31-0.79).
   Cancer, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
7. juj-ws10-15 · RCT
   Jujube consumption failed to decrease FBG, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety scores (P > 0.05). However, the between-group comparison revealed a significant improvement in WC (- 3.98 vs. - 0.51, P = 0.01), triglyceride (TG) (- 24.96 vs. - 0.73, P = 0.03), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (2.83 vs. 0.40, P = 0.01) in the jujube group compared to the placebo.
   Complement Ther Med, 2024;82:103041 · checked 2026-09-29
8. juj-daily-r5-06 · RCT
   There were no drug-related complications in the ZS group.
   Scientific Reports, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
9. juj-daily-r5-07 · retrospective cohort
   Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that jujube shell was a significant predictor of complication on weekdays (P < .001).
   Medicine (Baltimore), 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
10. juj-daily-r5-08 · retrospective cohort
    the proportion of jujube shell (11.7% on weekdays and 13.5% on holidays) and food bolus (8.2% on weekdays and 7.9% on holidays) ingestion is relatively low on weekdays and holidays.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
11. juj-daily-r5-04 · meta-analysis
    Overall, jujube consumption did not show a significant effect on reducing cholesterol (MD-2.44, 95% CI-5.49 to 0.61) (Fig. 6).
    Nutrition & Diabetes, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
12. juj-daily-r5-13 · register
    jujube | Ziziphus jujuba | Ziziphus | jujube fruit: 21 CFR 101 0 claims · EU register (snapshot 2026-09-21, 2330 claims) 0 · ODS 0 · interactions 0 · FNDDS 0 · corpus axis 2 query 0 of all types
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, snapshot 2026-09-21, and 21 CFR 101 · checked 2026-09-29
13. juj-daily-r5-01 · RCT
    116 participants with T2DM (older than 30 years) were assigned to consume a balanced diet or diet plus ZJF infusion (10 g/100 mL boiling water) three times/day before main meals for 12 weeks... The consumption of ZJF infusion compared with the control group was associated with significant improvement in glycosylated haemoglobin (-0.68 ± 0.65 vs. -0.44 ± 0.55%; p = 0.03)
    Phytother Res, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
14. juj-daily-r5-05 · RCT
    As shown in Table 4, the therapeutic response in the ZS group was prominently better than the PEG group at all follow-up visits (P = 0.001).
    Scientific Reports, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
15. juj-daily-r5-14 · review
    Nonseed tissues, such as fruits, leaves, and roots, exhibit underutilized potential due to their high content of antioxidants and nutrients, yet remain understudied, leading to resource waste.
    J Pharm Pharmacol, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29