Drug & supplement interaction

Banana + nitazoxanide

nitazoxanide brand name: Alinia.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Banana and nitazoxanide 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 nitazoxanide states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Banana and nitazoxanide

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 nitazoxanide 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 nitazoxanide and Banana? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for nitazoxanide

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. nitazoxanide is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Banana has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being levodopa (moderate) — and none of nitazoxanide’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 — nitazoxanide isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Banana and nitazoxanide May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Banana

    “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

    nitazoxanide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for nitazoxanide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Hives Worth acting on Additional detail

    Banana

    “Orally, bananas are well tolerated when consumed as food.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Bloating, cramping, gas.

    Topically: Urticaria.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Anaphylaxis, intestinal obstruction.”

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

    nitazoxanide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for nitazoxanide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach pain Additional detail

    Banana

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

    nitazoxanide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for nitazoxanide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Banana

    “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

    nitazoxanide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for nitazoxanide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea Additional detail

    Banana

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

    nitazoxanide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for nitazoxanide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Banana but not commonly for nitazoxanide: a bowel blockage, bloating or gas, an allergic reaction and high potassium.

Effects for nitazoxanide come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Banana come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some nitazoxanide Products Have a Food Rule — Banana Should Not Break It

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

parvum (2.1): Age Dosage Duration 12 years and older One nitazoxanide tablet (500 mg nitazoxanide) every 12 hours with food 3 days 2.1 Recommended Dosage and Important Administration Instructions Important Administration Instructions for Pediatric Patients 11 years of Age or Younger: Nitazoxanide tablets should not be administered to pediatric patients 11 years of age or younger because a single t

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for nitazoxanide — 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.

Overlapping uses

What nitazoxanide Is Prescribed For, and What Banana Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. nitazoxanide is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Banana is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

nitazoxanide is prescribed for: Nitazoxanide tablets (for patients 12 years and older) treat diarrhea caused by two parasites: Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum. These are intestinal parasites that can cause significant diarrhea and digestive upset. Important limitation: nitazoxanide tablets and Alinia for oral suspension have not been shown to work for diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in people who are HIV-positive or have a weakened immune system.

Banana has been studied for:

  • Diarrhea Natural Medicines rates the evidence for Banana: Possibly Effective Read what the research shows

    Banana for diarrhea

    Low-quality evidence shows that oral cooked green bananas might be helpful for the management of acute and persistent diarrhea due to various causes in children. There is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of banana for treatment of diarrhea in adults.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace nitazoxanide on your own; if you are taking Banana for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With nitazoxanide

This page covers Banana only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the nitazoxanide page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the nitazoxanide page

“Nitazoxanide (Alinia) is an antiparasitic taken as a short course, often just three days, to clear gut infections like giardiasis, so every dose needs to actually reach the bloodstream. That is exactly what the 17 supplements on this page can undermine, and it is why this list deserves real care rather than a shrug.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the nitazoxanide 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 nitazoxanide, 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 nitazoxanide 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication nitazoxanide
Steady interest

#1,643 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 nitazoxanide 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 Nitazoxanide

What Is Nitazoxanide Used For?

Brand name: Alinia

Nitazoxanide tablets (for patients 12 years and older) treat diarrhea caused by two parasites: Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum. These are intestinal parasites that can cause significant diarrhea and digestive upset.

Important limitation: nitazoxanide tablets and Alinia for oral suspension have not been shown to work for diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in people who are HIV-positive or have a weakened immune system.

See full Nitazoxanide 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
Moderate

5 interactions

No interaction 2,824 drugs checked — show the list
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 nitazoxanide Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Banana with nitazoxanide?
We do not list a known interaction between Banana and nitazoxanide. 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.
Do Banana and nitazoxanide have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Banana and nitazoxanide at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing nitazoxanide says to take it with food. If you take Banana on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take nitazoxanide with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two nitazoxanide products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Banana and nitazoxanide used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Banana in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if nitazoxanide is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Banana and nitazoxanide combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. nitazoxanide is filed under 1 classification, and Banana has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of nitazoxanide'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 — nitazoxanide 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 nitazoxanide interact with any supplements?
Yes. nitazoxanide has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Banana is not one of them. The nitazoxanide 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 nitazoxanide 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.