Drug & supplement interaction

Banana + Interferon Beta-1a

Interferon Beta-1a brand names: Rebif, Avonex.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Banana and Interferon Beta-1a 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.

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Interaction report

Banana and Interferon Beta-1a

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 Interferon Beta-1a and Banana 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.

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.

Banana safety at a glance

Banana overall Generally safe Bananas are a common, generally safe food for most people when eaten in normal amounts.
Pregnancy Generally safe Bananas as a food are considered safe in pregnancy; concentrated supplements are less studied.
Breastfeeding Generally safe Bananas as a food are considered safe while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Interferon Beta-1a and Banana? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Interferon Beta-1a

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications — photosensitizing drugs, hepatotoxic drugs. Banana has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being levodopa (moderate) — and none of Interferon Beta-1a’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Banana Does Interact With Other Medications

Banana has 5 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 5 No known interaction 2,825 (incl. Interferon Beta-1a)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Banana

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

What to actually watch for

What Banana Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Interferon Beta-1a. It is the side-effect record for Banana on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Banana, this list is the first place to look. 4 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A bowel blockage Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, banana starch isolated from green bananas has resulted in bloating, gas, cramping, and softer feces. When consumed prior to exercise, fullness and bloating during exercise have been reported. In children, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distension have been reported when banana is used in the treatment of diarrhea.”

    Banana · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    6 sources cited
    1. 93448. Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Francisco-Luria MU, Córdova-Uscanga R, Rodríguez-Hernández A, Méndez JD, Díaz-Zagoya JC. Effects of native banana starch supplementation on body weight and insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetics. Int J Environ PubMed
    2. 93449. Jiménez-Domínguez G, Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Juárez-Rojop IE, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Ble-Castillo DJ, García-Vázquez C, Olvera-Hernández V, Pérez-Pimienta B, Diaz-Zagoya JC, Mendez JD. Effects of Acute Ingestion of Native Banana Starch on Glycem
    3. 110619. Arias-Córdova Y, Ble-Castillo JL, García-Vázquez C, et al. Resistant Starch Consumption Effects on Glycemic Control and Glycemic Variability in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Study. Nutrients 2021;13(11):4052. PubMed
    4. 93459. Nieman DC, Gillitt ND, Sha W, et al. Metabolomics-Based Analysis of Banana and Pear Ingestion on Exercise Performance and Recovery. J Proteome Res 2015;14(12):5367-77. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00909. PubMed
    5. 93461. Rabbani GH, Ahmed S, Hossain I, Islam R, Marni F, Akhtar M, Majid N. Green banana reduces clinical severity of childhood shigellosis: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009 May;28(5):420-5. PubMed
    6. 93777. Schoeffl V, Varatorn R, Blinnikov O, Vidamaly V. Intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoars of banana seeds: a case report. Asian J Surg. 2004 Oct;27(4):348-51. PubMed
  • High potassium Worth acting on Additional detail

    “In one case report, an adolescent girl who consumed nothing other than 20 bananas daily developed hyperkalemia and hyperdopaminemia. These changes in the blood resulted in pseudoaldosteronism and dysthymia.”

    Banana · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hyperkalemia.

    1 source cited
    1. 93780. Tazoe M, Narita M, Sakuta R, Nagai T, Narita N. Hyperkalemia and hyperdopaminemia induced by an obsessive eating of banana in an anorexia nervosa adolescent. Brain Dev. 2007 Jul;29(6):369-72. PubMed
  • Shortness of breath / An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, banana has been reported to cause allergic reaction, including urticaria and redness, abdominal pain and nausea, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis. Topically, contact urticara has also been reported. Skin testing is not always accurate, even for patients with severe banana allergy.”

    Banana · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    2 sources cited
    1. 93784. Meynadier J, Meynadier JM, Guilhou JJ. [Contact urticaria in atopic patients. Apropos of 2 cases]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 1982;109(10):871-4.
    2. 93793. Hauswirth DW, Burks AW. Banana anaphylaxis with a negative commercial skin test. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Mar;115(3):632-3. PubMed
  • A severe allergic reaction / Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Recorded for Banana in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A bowel blockage above.

  • Bloating or gas Additional detail

    Recorded for Banana in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A bowel blockage above.

  • Stomach pain Additional detail

    Recorded for Banana in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Shortness of breath / An allergic reaction above.

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    Recorded for Banana in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A bowel blockage above.

Showing the 10 most notable of 11 recorded effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Banana — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Interferon Beta-1a to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Interferon Beta-1a.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Interferon Beta-1a

This page covers Banana only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Interferon Beta-1a page lists 57 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 53 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Interferon Beta-1a page

“Siberian cocklebur, an herb tied to documented cases of liver failure, is the first name to know for anyone injecting interferon beta-1a (Rebif, Avonex) for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta-1a can strain the liver on its own, which is why prescribers order routine liver blood tests, and 38 of the 57 supplements on file carry that sa…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Interferon Beta-1a interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 985 real supplement products containing Banana, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Banana. Even though Banana itself has no known interaction with Interferon Beta-1a, 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 Banana and Interferon Beta-1a 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 Banana
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Interferon Beta-1a
Steady interest

#2,320 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 Banana reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Banana and Interferon Beta-1a records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Banana

What is Banana?

Banana
  • Source of potassium and energy
  • Digestive health and diarrhea
  • Blood pressure support
  • Heartburn and stomach ulcers (traditional)
  • Weight management

Bananas are a nutritious, widely eaten fruit that provide potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, and quick energy, and they are part of a healthy diet. While some traditional uses (like easing diarrhea or supporting blood pressure) have plausible support, most specific health claims are not strongly proven. For most people bananas are a safe food, but those with kidney problems or a latex-fruit allergy should be cautious.

Musa acuminata · Musaceae · Fruit (most common); peel, flower, and leaves are also used in some traditions · Fresh fruit, dried banana, banana powder, green (unripe) banana flour, smoothies

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

Banana: dosing

There is no official medicinal dose for bananas. As a food, one to a few bananas per day fits easily into a healthy diet for most people.For banana supplements, powders, or green banana flour, a standardized dose has not been established.

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

Read the full Banana monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection

What Is Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection Used For?

Brand names: Rebif, Avonex

  • Interferon beta-1a intramuscular injection is used to treat adults with various forms of multiple sclerosis (MS; a disease in which the nerves do not function properly and people may experience weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control) including:

    • clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; nerve symptom episodes that last at least 24 hours),

    • relapsing-remitting forms (course of disease where symptoms flare up from time to time), or

    • secondary progressive forms (course of disease where relapses occur more often).

  • Interferon beta-1a is in a class of medications called immunomodulators. It works by decreasing inflammation and preventing nerve damage that may cause symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Interferon Beta-1a

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (192,069 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Multiple sclerosis relapse 15,851 reports
Influenza like illness 13,253 reports
Fatigue 11,554 reports
Fall 10,604 reports
Multiple sclerosis 9,358 reports
See full Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Banana

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

0Major
5Moderate
0Minor
2,824No known interaction
5 Moderate 2,824 No interaction
Moderate

5 interactions

No interaction 2,824 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,824 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banana list.

See the full Banana interactions page
See every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Banana References

The 11 references that drive our Banana 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. Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Francisco-Luria MU, Córdova-Uscanga R, Rodríguez-Hernández A, Méndez JD, Díaz-Zagoya JC. Effects of native banana starch supplementation on body weight and insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetics. Int J Environ PubMed
  2. Jiménez-Domínguez G, Ble-Castillo JL, Aparicio-Trápala MA, Juárez-Rojop IE, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Ble-Castillo DJ, García-Vázquez C, Olvera-Hernández V, Pérez-Pimienta B, Diaz-Zagoya JC, Mendez JD. Effects of Acute Ingestion of Native Banana Starch on Glycem
  3. Nieman DC, Gillitt ND, Sha W, et al. Metabolomics-Based Analysis of Banana and Pear Ingestion on Exercise Performance and Recovery. J Proteome Res 2015;14(12):5367-77. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00909. PubMed
  4. Rabbani GH, Ahmed S, Hossain I, Islam R, Marni F, Akhtar M, Majid N. Green banana reduces clinical severity of childhood shigellosis: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009 May;28(5):420-5. PubMed
  5. Schoeffl V, Varatorn R, Blinnikov O, Vidamaly V. Intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoars of banana seeds: a case report. Asian J Surg. 2004 Oct;27(4):348-51. PubMed
  6. Don M, Longo G. Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome due to banana: an uncommon entity. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Apr;45(2):61-2.
  7. Tazoe M, Narita M, Sakuta R, Nagai T, Narita N. Hyperkalemia and hyperdopaminemia induced by an obsessive eating of banana in an anorexia nervosa adolescent. Brain Dev. 2007 Jul;29(6):369-72. PubMed
  8. Meynadier J, Meynadier JM, Guilhou JJ. [Contact urticaria in atopic patients. Apropos of 2 cases]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 1982;109(10):871-4.
  9. Hauswirth DW, Burks AW. Banana anaphylaxis with a negative commercial skin test. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Mar;115(3):632-3. PubMed
  10. Hotozuka S, Yasu T, Hikita E, Shirota M. Interaction Between Levodopa and Banana in a Patient With Parkinson's Disease. Am J Ther 2022;29(4):465-467. PubMed
  11. Arias-Córdova Y, Ble-Castillo JL, García-Vázquez C, et al. Resistant Starch Consumption Effects on Glycemic Control and Glycemic Variability in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Study. Nutrients 2021;13(11):4052. PubMed

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 Banana and Interferon Beta-1a Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Banana with Interferon Beta-1a?
We do not list a known interaction between Banana and Interferon Beta-1a. 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.
How was the Banana and Interferon Beta-1a combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Interferon Beta-1a is filed under 2 classifications, and Banana has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Interferon Beta-1a's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Banana interact with any other medications?
Yes. Banana has 5 documented drug interactions in our database — Interferon Beta-1a is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Interferon Beta-1a interact with any supplements?
Yes. Interferon Beta-1a has documented interactions with 57 supplements in our database — Banana is not one of them. The Interferon Beta-1a interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Banana monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Interferon Beta-1a Intramuscular Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Interferon Beta-1a supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Interferon Beta-1a, 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 References The 11 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Interferon Beta-1a and Banana?

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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.