WHITE PEONY
White peony root has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. Newer research is looking at how it may support immune balance, mast cells and muscle comfort.
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
Where to buy is near the bottom of this post.
WHAT IS WHITE PEONY?
- White peony is the root of Paeonia lactiflora, called "bai shao" in Chinese medicine.
- "White" peony root is peeled, boiled and dried. Red peony root comes from the same plant but is prepared differently, and Chinese medicine considers the two different herbs.
- Its best-known natural compound is paeoniflorin.
- Much of the research in people uses TGP (total glucosides of paeony), a concentrated peony root extract used as a medicine in China. In most of these studies, TGP was added to standard medicines.
TRADITIONAL USE
- The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists white peony for muscle spasms and pain in the arms and legs, belly pain, headaches and dizziness, irregular periods, and night sweats. (Shared in a 2016 European Medicines Agency report.)
- It is usually used together with other herbs, not on its own.
IMMUNE BALANCE AND INFLAMMATION
- A 2023 review of 63 trials (5,293 people) with five kinds of inflammatory arthritis found that adding TGP to usual care may improve symptom scores and lower inflammation markers like CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6. Adding TGP did not raise side effects. The authors said the trials were small and low quality, so bigger studies are needed.
- A 2021 review of 39 studies (3,680 people with rheumatoid arthritis) found that people who added TGP to their standard medicines had fewer liver side effects and fewer drops in white blood cells.
- A 2025 review of 36 trials (3,140 people with psoriasis) found that when TGP was added to usual care, more people reached at least a 60% improvement in their psoriasis score. The authors said study quality was limited.
- A 2023 review of 7 trials (632 people with Sjögren's) found that adding TGP to hydroxychloroquine helped more people with dry mouth and dry eyes than the medicine alone.
- In a 2024 review of 24 animal studies, TGP lowered inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6) and raised IL-10, a calming cytokine. In other words, it seemed to help balance cytokines, not just lower them. The authors said the studies were low quality.
MAST CELLS AND HIVES
- A 2022 review of 30 trials (2,973 teens and adults with chronic hives) found that adding TGP to an antihistamine cleared hives in about 1.5 times as many people as the antihistamine alone. Hives also came back less often, and IgE (an allergy marker) went down. The study quality was low to moderate.
- In a 2025 animal study, paeoniflorin lowered scratching in mice with hives and calmed mast cell release of histamine and tryptase.
- A 2025 lab study found paeoniflorin lowered histamine release from mast cells.
- Older lab and animal study (2021): paeoniflorin calmed mast cells whether the trigger was allergy-type (IgE) or not. This may matter for MCAS, since many mast cell flares aren't true allergies.
- White peony is not an antihistamine, and most of the mast cell research is still in the lab and in animals.
MOUTH HEALTH AND SLEEP
- In a 2026 trial of 448 adults with oral lichen planus (an immune condition of the mouth), adding TGP for 12 months to a short course of prednisone led to a complete response (little or no pain and few visible signs) in 53.9% of people, compared with 34.4% with prednisone alone. Sleep quality also improved more in the TGP group.
- In a 2023 trial of 79 people with frequent mouth ulcers, those taking TGP for 24 weeks had longer stretches without ulcers. The benefit kept growing after they stopped, and by the end of the study they had more ulcer-free days than the placebo group.
- In a 2026 animal study, paeoniflorin eased anxious behavior in sleep-deprived mice and lowered inflammation in the brain.
MUSCLES AND NERVES
- In a 2025 trial of 62 people on kidney dialysis, a traditional formula of peony root (the red form) and licorice lowered how often muscle cramps happened, compared with usual care over 4 weeks. Cramp pain also went down. It was a blend, so the results can't be credited to peony alone. The study was funded by a company that makes Chinese herbal medicines.
- In a 2024 animal study, paeoniflorin eased nerve pain in rats and calmed the immune cells of the brain and spinal cord (microglia and astrocytes).
A note from me: this list doesn't cover everything. White peony may offer more benefits than I've included here. I'm sharing the uses that are best known or most studied as of today, from sources I trust. Research keeps growing, and one post can only cover so much.
BEFORE YOU START
- Read the warning on each bottle.
- The most common side effect in the studies was diarrhea or loose stools, usually mild.
- Don't use white peony during pregnancy. If you're nursing, talk with your doctor first.
- Lab studies suggest peony compounds may slow blood clotting. It's not known if this happens in people, so talk with your doctor first if you take blood thinners or have surgery coming up.
- In an animal study, peony root changed how a seizure medicine (phenytoin) was absorbed, so ask your doctor first if you take seizure medicines.
- Always ask your doctor before adding anything new.
MY EXPERIENCE
I take white peony every day as part of Find Relief.
FIND RELIEF HIGHLIGHT
- White peony is in Find Relief, at 170 mg of white peony extract (10:1 concentration) per 3-capsule serving.
- How it works with Chinese skullcap: skullcap gives more direct support for mast cells and inflammation, while white peony broadens immune balance. Together they support a more balanced immune response, without pushing the immune system too far up or down.
FIND RELIEF - BAIKAL SKULLCAP AND WHITE PEONY: BROADER IMMUNE REGULATION
- How it works with PEA and apigenin: PEA supports comfort in the body and nerves, apigenin supports feeling calm and relaxed, and white peony has a traditional history of use for relaxed muscles and a balanced nervous system. Together they support relaxation and sleep in several gentle ways, rather than acting like a sedative.
FIND RELIEF - PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE (PEA), APIGENIN, AND WHITE PEONY: PHYSICAL COMFORT, RELAXATION, AND SLEEP
- White peony is also part of the formula's cytokine support:
FIND RELIEF - CYTOKINE-SIGNALING SUPPORT
- See every Find Relief post in one place:
FIND RELIEF DIRECTORY
WHERE TO BUY
One I personally love: Find Relief, formulated by my doctor, Dr. Thoring.
I invested in Vital Harmony Nutritionals to help bring Find Relief to market, because I wanted a formula that saves people money.
Buy products on Fullscript for a 25% discount:
Buy here (Life Extension Peony Immune: white peony extract capsules):
MORE RESEARCH WITH MIXED RESULTS
- In a small 2025 pilot study of 11 people with ALS, a peony and licorice formula was safe and well tolerated, but it did not improve the main muscle cramp score more than placebo. A few other measures did improve.
RELATED POSTS
CHINESE SKULLCAP (BAIKAL SKULLCAP)
CYTOKINE - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
PAIN / INFLAMMATION - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
LYME MUSCLE CRAMPS AND SPASMS
SOURCES
European Medicines Agency, white peony root assessment report (2016, older source, still worth reading)
Yang et al., TGP in inflammatory arthritis, review of 63 trials (2023)
Liu et al., TGP safety in rheumatoid arthritis, review (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Psoriasis review of 36 trials, Frontiers in Pharmacology (2025)
Zhang, Chen and Lin, TGP in Sjögren's, review (2023)
He, Hu and Yang, TGP and cytokines in animal studies, review (2024)
Li et al., TGP in chronic hives, review of 30 trials (2022)
Wang et al., paeoniflorin and mast cells in mice (2025)
Paeoniflorin and mast cells, lab study, Central European Journal of Immunology (2025)
Paeoniflorin and allergy-type and non-allergy-type mast cell triggers, Food and Function (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Oral lichen planus trial, Phytomedicine (2026)
Liu et al., mouth ulcer trial (2023)
Paeoniflorin and anxiety in sleep-deprived mice, Phytomedicine (2026)
Peony and licorice formula, muscle cramp trial in dialysis (2025)
Paeoniflorin and nerve pain in rats (2024)
Mitsumoto et al., peony and licorice formula in ALS, pilot study (2025)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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