Coleus Forskohlii (Forskolin): half-life, strengths and approval status

What is coleus forskohlii?

Forskolin is a compound from the roots of Coleus forskohlii, a plant from subtropical areas such as India and Thailand, and the extract is sold for weight loss. ODS says research in people is very limited and inconclusive: three small 12-week trials found no effect on body weight.

Also known as: forskolin, ForsLean.

Amounts studied

All three trials used 250 mg of extract standardized to 10% forskolin twice a day (500 mg a day) for 12 weeks (ODS). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.

What studies show: in 19 women with overweight or obesity, the extract had no effect on body weight, appetite or calorie intake (Henderson 2005). In 30 men with overweight, it did not change body weight but lowered body fat by about 4% versus about 1% on placebo (Godard 2005). In 30 adults on a low-calorie diet, it did not reduce weight compared with placebo but lowered insulin levels (Loftus 2015). ODS calls the evidence very limited and inconclusive.

Safety: ODS says forskolin might increase bowel movements and cause loose stools, and 500 mg a day for 12 weeks has not been linked to more serious side effects, but it has not been studied longer. In mice, Coleus forskohlii extract damaged the liver in a dose-dependent way, while pure forskolin did not, suggesting another part of the extract may be responsible (ODS). FDA warns that many products sold for weight loss, including supplements and teas, are likely to contain dangerous hidden drug ingredients, and that its public list of such products covers only a small fraction of them.

Coleus forskohlii half-life and time to peak

• Half-lifeNot listed
• Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for Coleus forskohlii that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Plant extracts are mixtures of many compounds, so no single figure would describe them.

How to track coleus forskohlii in Dose Track

1. Add coleus forskohlii as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

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Related compounds

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for weight loss, fact sheet for health professionals (updated May 18, 2022).
2. Henderson S, et al. Effects of Coleus forskohlii supplementation on body composition and hematological profiles in mildly overweight women. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2005;2(2):54-62.
3. 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.
4. Loftus HL, et al. Coleus forskohlii extract supplementation in conjunction with a hypocaloric diet reduces the risk factors of metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese subjects: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2015;7(11):9508-9522.
5. FDA. Weight loss product notifications (medication health fraud), accessed October 28, 2026.
6. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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