Cissus quadrangularis is a climbing plant in the grape family (Vitaceae), native to tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It’s best known for its traditional use as a bone-healing remedy and is now sold widely as a dietary supplement for fracture recovery, joint pain, and weight management. The plant gets its name from its distinctive four-angled, square-shaped stems, which are the part most commonly used in extracts.
Known as “Hadjod” in Ayurvedic medicine (a Hindi word meaning “bone setter”), it has been used for centuries in both Ayurvedic and Siddha medical traditions as an analgesic, general tonic, and fracture treatment. In parts of Africa, it goes by “veldt grape.” Modern research has begun to test many of these traditional claims, with some promising early results.
What’s Inside the Plant
Cissus quadrangularis is unusually nutrient-dense for a vine. It contains high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, and calcium, which partly explains its historical link to bone health. But the compounds drawing the most scientific attention are its ketosteroids, phytosterols, and triterpenoids, all of which appear to influence how the body builds and repairs tissue.
The plant also contains resveratrol (the same antioxidant found in red wine), quercetin (a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties), and a compound unique to this species called quadrangularin A. Beyond these, researchers have identified flavonoids, carotenoids, saponins, tannins, and soluble plant fiber. This broad chemical profile is why the plant shows up in research on such different topics, from bone fractures to body fat.
How It Supports Bone Healing
The bone-healing reputation is the oldest and best-studied use of Cissus quadrangularis. The steroidal compounds in the plant appear to speed up fracture repair through several overlapping mechanisms. They stimulate osteoblasts (the cells responsible for building new bone) to absorb more calcium, sulfur, and strontium, the key minerals needed for solid bone formation. At the same time, the extract accelerates production and turnover of mucopolysaccharides, the raw structural materials the body uses to knit broken bone back together.
One particularly interesting finding: the plant appears to counteract the bone-suppressing effects of cortisone, a stress hormone that slows tissue regeneration. By stimulating fibroblasts, chondroblasts, and osteoblasts (the cells that build connective tissue, cartilage, and bone respectively), Cissus quadrangularis essentially pushes the repair process forward on multiple fronts. Clinical observations suggest this can reduce typical fracture healing time from 14 to 16 weeks down to 8 to 10 weeks, though more large-scale human trials are needed to confirm that range.
Joint Pain and Inflammation
Beyond fracture repair, Cissus quadrangularis shows anti-inflammatory effects that are relevant to joint health. In a pilot study of 29 young, exercise-trained men with joint pain, eight weeks of supplementation reduced total joint pain and stiffness scores by roughly 31%, as measured by a standard joint assessment tool. The improvements were statistically significant, though no changes appeared in clinical blood markers, suggesting the benefit was primarily in how participants felt and moved rather than in measurable systemic inflammation.
Lab research offers a clearer picture of the mechanism. The extract blocks a specific inflammatory signaling pathway (p38 MAPK) that drives cartilage and bone destruction. When joint tissue is inflamed, the body ramps up production of enzymes that break down cartilage and proteins that amplify pain and swelling. Cissus quadrangularis dialed down production of several of these destructive enzymes while also reducing levels of key inflammatory signaling molecules like TNF-alpha and certain interleukins. It also boosted survivin, a protein that helps cells resist programmed death, essentially protecting cartilage cells from being destroyed by chronic inflammation.
Weight and Metabolic Effects
A smaller but growing body of research connects Cissus quadrangularis to weight management. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, participants taking a standardized extract lost 12.8% of their body fat over eight weeks. The extract also appeared to improve fasting blood sugar levels and lipid profiles, including favorable shifts in cholesterol and triglyceride numbers.
The proposed mechanism involves the plant’s ability to influence GLP-1, a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. Preclinical research in animals found that Cissus quadrangularis extract increased GLP-1 levels and inhibited the enzyme that breaks it down. These effects were associated with reduced food intake and lower body weight. A clinical trial is currently underway to test whether the same GLP-1 pathway responds similarly in humans with overweight or obesity. The soluble fiber and phytosterol content of the plant may also contribute to its metabolic effects by slowing fat absorption in the gut.
Typical Dosage in Supplements
Most clinical trials have used around 1,000 mg per day of Cissus quadrangularis extract, split into two doses of roughly 500 mg each, taken with water before meals. The extract used in weight management research was standardized to contain at least 2.5% ketosteroids and 15% soluble plant fiber. If you’re shopping for a supplement, the ketosteroid percentage is the key quality marker to look for on the label, as it indicates how concentrated the active compounds are.
Supplements are commonly sold as capsules, though powdered stem preparations exist as well. Some products combine Cissus quadrangularis with other ingredients, so checking the label for the standalone extract amount matters if you want to match the doses used in published research.
Safety Profile
Based on the clinical evidence available, Cissus quadrangularis extracts appear to be well tolerated and free of significant adverse effects at the doses commonly used in studies (up to about 1,000 mg per day for eight weeks). No serious safety concerns have emerged in published trials. That said, the total number of human studies remains relatively small, and long-term safety data beyond a few months is limited.
Because the extract can influence blood sugar and lipid levels, it could theoretically interact with medications that do the same, particularly diabetes or cholesterol drugs. Its effects on hormone-related pathways (through its ketosteroid content) also mean it may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people with hormone-sensitive conditions. The research base is strong enough to explain why the plant has been used medicinally for centuries, but it’s still catching up to the level of evidence behind more established supplements like vitamin D or omega-3s.