What is it?
Active compound versus extract
1Forskolin is a labdane diterpene found in Coleus forskohlii extracts. Retail listings commonly name the extract, so compare active forskolin per serving rather than extract weight alone.
Names, aliases and forms
Mechanisms of action
Adenylyl cyclase and cAMP
1Forskolin activates adenylyl cyclase, a cellular enzyme that raises cyclic AMP (cAMP). This mechanism does not prove a cognitive benefit, but it helps explain why medication-interaction context matters.
Potential effects and evidence map
Human research on standardized Coleus forskohlii extracts is limited, small, and inconclusive for weight loss or body composition. The primary oral trials followed participants for 12 weeks, and they do not establish cognitive, productivity, or long-term supplement benefits.
Small body-composition trials do not establish an endurance or physical-performance benefit.
One small male trial does not establish a testosterone or vitality benefit for general supplement users.
No reliable human evidence establishes memory, learning, focus, or productivity effects.
Typical dosages and timing
Small body-composition trials commonly used 250 mg of 10% Coleus forskohlii extract twice daily. This is trial context, not a personal dosing recommendation.
At 10% forskolin, 500 mg of extract supplies about 50 mg active forskolin. A lower-percentage product needs more extract to match that active amount; a higher-percentage product needs less.
Timing & effect horizon
Safety, side effects and risk profile
Possible blood-pressure and heart-rate effects are targeted cautions, not established healthy-adult harms.
Blood-pressure medicines and blood thinners are the main interaction contexts to check.
Avoid during pregnancy; direct clinical safety evidence is absent.
Polycystic kidney disease is a specific caution; broader oral kidney harm is not established.
MSKCC lists low blood pressure and slow heart rate as potential effects. Laboratory findings suggest possible additive effects with blood-pressure medicines, although the clinical relevance has not been established.
MSKCC lists diarrhea and gastrointestinal symptoms as potential tolerability effects.
A 10% forskolin Coleus root extract caused liver toxicity in mice; corresponding pure forskolin did not reproduce the hepatic findings in that study. This animal finding does not establish human liver harm from oral forskolin or extract products.
A post-marketing survey of Coleus extract products found mostly gastrointestinal reports and an association between claimed extract amount and diarrhea. Self-reported product-level data cannot establish individual causality or risk from pure forskolin.
Forskolin has eye-pressure research, but oral extracts, powders, capsules, and topical products not designed for ophthalmic use should not be placed in the eye.
Interactions and cautions
MSKCC notes possible additive effects with beta-blockers, vasodilators, ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, warfarin, and other blood thinners. The cited interaction evidence is laboratory-based, so clinical relevance remains uncertain.
Cultured-hepatocyte research suggests that forskolin can induce CYP3A. This is a preclinical signal, not evidence of a clinical drug interaction.
Legal and regulatory status
United States — FDA context, as of 2026: dietary-supplement structure/function claims require substantiation. FDA distinguishes these claims from disease claims and applies different regulatory requirements. This is a U.S. labeling context, not a statement about legal status in other countries.
Practical buying and quality notes
- Compare the label’s percentage standardization and active forskolin per serving, not bottle grams alone. Products that list only extract weight do not make active-dose comparisons straightforward.7
- For powders and capsules, compare percentage forskolin, extract amount per serving, active forskolin per serving, batch assay, botanical identity, and whether the listed price is per gram of extract or per milligram of active forskolin.7
- The small human trials are mixed and inconclusive. Use standardized active amount and label transparency as the first comparison filters rather than reading body-composition or testosterone marketing as settled evidence.9
FAQ
What is Forskolin?
1Forskolin is a diterpene found in Coleus forskohlii extracts. It activates adenylyl cyclase and cAMP signaling, a mechanism that is not itself proof of a consumer benefit.
What is the Forskolin dosage?
9The main trial context was 250 mg of 10% Coleus extract twice daily, which supplies about 50 mg/day active forskolin. Different extract percentages change the extract amount needed to reach a comparable active amount.
How long is Forskolin studied for?
9The principal oral trials followed participants for 12 weeks. That duration is not evidence for a personal cycle length or a same-day effect.
Does Forskolin help focus or memory?
9No reliable human evidence establishes focus or memory benefits. Small oral research has instead examined body composition and metabolic measures.
Who should be especially cautious with Forskolin?
5MSKCC specifically flags polycystic kidney disease and potential interaction context with blood-pressure medicines and blood thinners. These situations need individualized clinical guidance.
References
- PubChem. Forskolin (CID 47936). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- Godard MP, Johnson BA, Richmond SR. Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men. Obes Res. 2005;13(8):1335-1343.
- Henderson S, Magu B, Rasmussen C, et al. Effects of Coleus forskohlii supplementation on body composition and hematological profiles in mildly overweight women. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2005;2:54-62.
- Loftus HL, et al. Coleus forskohlii extract supplementation in conjunction with a hypocaloric diet reduces the risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Nutrients. 2015;7(11):9508-9522.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Forskolin. Last updated 2023-06-02. Accessed 2026-07-01.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Structure/Function Claims. Accessed 2026-08-20.
- BulkSupplements. Coleus Forskohlii Extract (7.5% Forskolin) Powder product listing. Accessed 2026-07-01.
- LiftMode. Coleus forskohlii Extract 10+% Forskolin product listings. Accessed 2026-07-01.
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Health Professional Fact Sheet. Accessed 2026-08-20.
- Rat P, et al. Forskolin induces endocrine disturbance in human JEG-3 placental cells. Toxics. 2022;10(7):355.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Coleus barbatus (Andrews) Benth. ex G.Don. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 2026-08-20.
- Ding X, Staudinger JL. Induction of drug metabolism by forskolin: the role of the pregnane X receptor and protein kinase A signal transduction pathway. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005;312(2):849-856.
- Nishijima C, Chiba T, Sato Y, Umegaki K. Nationwide online survey enables the reevaluation of the safety of Coleus forskohlii extract intake based on the adverse event frequencies. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):866.
- Virgona N, Taki Y, Yamada S, Umegaki K. Dietary Coleus forskohlii extract generates dose-related hepatotoxicity in mice. J Appl Toxicol. 2013;33(9):924-932.