Drug & supplement interaction

Anise + Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol brand names: Nordette, Logynon ED, Microgynon 30, Ovranette, Trinordiol, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls into 2 drug categories that Anise can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, anise might interfere with estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Anise and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Anise interacts with whole categories of medication. Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Anise in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol falls under ESTROGENS — the group Anise interacts with.

Theoretically, anise might interfere with estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy.
Some in vitro research suggests that anise has estrogenic effects, while other in vitro research suggests that anise has antiestrogenic effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with anise and your birth control pill (which combines levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol). Anise has some plant compounds that, in test-tube studies, behaved a little like estrogen in one experiment and a little anti-estrogen in another. That's a mixed, conflicting signal from lab dishes only, not from real people taking the pill.

So in plain terms: there is no good human evidence that sprinkling anise on food or sipping anise tea will weaken your pill or change your hormone levels. The theoretical worry would be a small nudge to estrogen activity. Normal food and tea amounts are very unlikely to matter. If you're using concentrated anise oil or large supplement doses regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on things.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kassi E, Papoutsi Z, Fokialakis N, et al. Greek plant extracts exhibit selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)-like properties. J Agric Food Chem 2004;52:6956-61. PubMed
  2. Tabanca N, Khan SI, Bedir E, et al. Estrogenic activity of isolated compounds and essential oils of Pimpinella species from Turkey, evaluated using a recombinant yeast screen. Planta Med 2004;70:728-35.
Moderate

CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS

2 of 2

Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol also falls under CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS.

Theoretically, anise might interfere with contraceptive drug therapy.
Some in vitro research suggests that anise has estrogenic effects, while other in vitro research suggests that anise has antiestrogenic effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the honest picture: your birth control pill combines two hormones (a progestin and an estrogen) to prevent pregnancy. Anise contains plant compounds that, in test-tube studies only, have shown mixed hormone-like activity. Some lab work hints it acts a little estrogen-like, other work suggests the opposite. Because the results point in both directions, nobody can say it would meaningfully strengthen or weaken your pill in real life.

The worry on file is mostly theoretical, and the amount of anise in food or a cup of tea is very unlikely to affect your protection. Concentrated anise essential oil or high-dose supplements are a bigger unknown, so I wouldn't lean on those while relying on the pill. If you're using anise regularly, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor to be safe.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kassi E, Papoutsi Z, Fokialakis N, et al. Greek plant extracts exhibit selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)-like properties. J Agric Food Chem 2004;52:6956-61. PubMed
  2. Tabanca N, Khan SI, Bedir E, et al. Estrogenic activity of isolated compounds and essential oils of Pimpinella species from Turkey, evaluated using a recombinant yeast screen. Planta Med 2004;70:728-35.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Anise Also Interacts With Other Medications

Anise has 192 moderate, 52 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 192 Minor 52 No known interaction 2,586 (incl. Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Anise

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Anise. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol

This page covers Anise only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol page lists 241 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 197 moderate · 38 minor.

Open the Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 465 real supplement products containing Anise, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Anise. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol too, on top of Anise — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Anise and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol 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 Anise
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol
Top 25%

#583 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.

Supplement

About Anise

What is Anise?

Anise
  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Cough and respiratory complaints
  • Sore throat
  • Menstrual discomfort
  • Flavoring agent

Anise is a fragrant, licorice-flavored seed used for centuries to ease digestion and soothe coughs. Most of its health claims are based on tradition and small or laboratory studies rather than strong human research, so evidence is limited. It is generally safe as a food and tea for most adults, but the concentrated essential oil should be used carefully and avoided in pregnancy.

Read the full Anise monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Anise

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

0Major
192Moderate
52Minor
2,585No known interaction
192 Moderate 52 Minor 2,585 No interaction
Moderate

192 interactions

Showing 60 of 192 moderate interactions — see all 192 on the Anise page.

Minor

52 interactions

No interaction 2,585 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Anise against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,585 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Anise list.

See the full Anise interactions page
See every supplement checked against Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Anise monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Anise and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Anise with Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Anise and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol?
Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol belongs to more than one drug category, and Anise interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Anise and Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Levonorgestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol and Anise?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.