Drug & supplement interaction

Amaranth + Imatinib

Imatinib brand name: Gleevec.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Amaranth and Imatinib in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Imatinib states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Amaranth and Imatinib

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Imatinib and Amaranth in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Amaranth at all — not against Imatinib, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Amaranth safety at a glance

Amaranth overall Use caution Generally safe as a food, but medicinal supplement doses are not well studied.
Pregnancy Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but avoid concentrated medicinal doses due to lack of safety data.
Breastfeeding Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but supplement-level doses have not been studied.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Imatinib and Amaranth? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Imatinib’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Amaranth. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Imatinib’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Low magnesium Worth acting on
  • A change in thyroid levels Worth acting on
  • Hearing loss Worth acting on
  • A bowel blockage Worth acting on
  • Severe muscle breakdown Worth acting on
  • Muscle weakness Worth acting on
  • Memory problems Worth acting on
  • Dehydration Worth acting on
  • Trouble swallowing Worth acting on
  • Bleeding in the gut Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 89 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Imatinib. Read the label on DailyMed › Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 41,419 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Imatinib that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Amaranth’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Amaranth side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Amaranth has no side effects.

How to take them

Some Imatinib Products Have a Food Rule — Amaranth Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Imatinib says to take it with food. If you take Amaranth on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Imatinib with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Imatinib products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Drug Administration The prescribed dose should be administered orally, with a meal and a large glass of water.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Imatinib — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Imatinib

This page covers Amaranth only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Imatinib page lists 153 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Cesium (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 8 major · 106 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Imatinib page

“Imatinib (Gleevec) treats certain leukemias and gastrointestinal tumors, and because keeping its blood level steady is what keeps the cancer controlled, this list deserves genuine attention before you add anything to it. Most of the interactions trace back to how the body clears imatinib through an enzyme called CYP3A4.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Imatinib interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Amaranth as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 404 real supplement products containing Amaranth, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Amaranth. Even though Amaranth itself has no known interaction with Imatinib, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Amaranth and Imatinib Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Amaranth
Top half

#443 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Imatinib
Top half

#1,166 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Amaranth reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Amaranth and Imatinib records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Amaranth

What is Amaranth?

Amaranth
  • Nutrition and as a gluten-free grain
  • High cholesterol
  • Diarrhea and digestive upset
  • Mouth and throat irritation (gargle)
  • Wound and skin care (traditional)

Amaranth is a nutritious plant whose seeds are used as a gluten-free pseudocereal and whose leaves are eaten as a vegetable. It is generally considered safe as a food, but evidence for its medicinal benefits (such as lowering cholesterol) is limited and mostly preliminary. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Amaranthus spp. · Amaranthaceae · Leaves, seeds, seed oil, roots, and whole plant · Seeds and flour (pseudocereal), leafy vegetable, seed oil, capsules, powders, and teas

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Amaranth is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Amaranth record says about it on its own.

Amaranth: dosing

There is no established standardized medicinal dose for amaranth. As a food, it is simply prepared and eaten like other grains or leafy vegetables.If you choose a supplement, oil, or capsule, follow the directions on the product label, since the amount of active ingredients can vary widely between products.

From our Amaranth monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Amaranth monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Imatinib

What Is Imatinib Used For?

Brand name: Gleevec

Imatinib treats a range of blood cancers and solid tumors. It is used for Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in adults and children — whether newly diagnosed or in more advanced phases — and for Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) in both adults and pediatric patients.

It is also used for Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), including after surgical removal, and for several rarer conditions: myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD) linked to specific gene changes, aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM), hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and/or chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), and unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP).

Most-Reported Side Effects for Imatinib

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (41,419 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 2,849 reports
Diarrhea 2,511 reports
Fatigue 2,118 reports
Vomiting 1,795 reports
Dyspnea 1,477 reports
See full Imatinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Amaranth

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Amaranth — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Amaranth References

The 6 references that drive our Amaranth monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Maier SM, Turner ND, Lupton JR. Serum lipids in hypercholesterolemic men and women consuming oat bran and amaranth products. Cereal Chem 2000:77;297-302. DOI
  2. Martirosyan, D. M., Miroshnichenko, L. A., Kulakova, S. N., Pogojeva, A. V., and Zoloedov, V. I. Amaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension. Lipids Health Dis. 2007;6:1.
  3. Cherkas A, Zarkovic K, Cipak Gasparovic A, et al. Amaranth oil reduces accumulation of 4-hydroxynonenal-histidine adducts in gastric mucosa and improves heart rate variability in duodenal peptic ulcer patients undergoing Helicobacter pylori eradication. F
  4. Dus-Zuchowska M, Walkowiak J, Morawska A, et al. Amaranth oil increases total and LDL cholesterol levels without influencing early markers of atherosclerosis in an overweight and obese population: A randomized double-blind cross-over study in comparison w
  5. Orsango AZ, Loha E, Lindtjørn B, Engebretsen IMS. Efficacy of processed amaranth-containing bread compared to maize bread on hemoglobin, anemia and iron deficiency anemia prevalence among two-to-five year-old anemic children in Southern Ethiopia: A cluste
  6. Moszak M, Zawada A, Juchacz A, Grzymislawski M, Bogdanski P. Comparison of the effect of rapeseed oil or amaranth seed oil supplementation on weight loss, body composition, and changes in the metabolic profile of obese patients following 3-week body mass

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Amaranth and Imatinib Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Amaranth with Imatinib?
We do not list a known interaction between Amaranth and Imatinib. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Should I take Amaranth and Imatinib at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Imatinib says to take it with food. If you take Amaranth on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Imatinib with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Imatinib products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Imatinib interact with any supplements?
Yes. Imatinib has documented interactions with 153 supplements in our database — Amaranth is not one of them. The Imatinib interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Imatinib and Amaranth?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.