Drug & supplement interaction

Beet + Olaparib

Olaparib brand name: Lynparza.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Beet has a moderate interaction with Olaparib. Theoretically, beet might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Beet and Olaparib

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Olaparib

Olaparib falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Beet interacts with.

Theoretically, beet might increase the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that betanin, the major pigment in beet, competitively inhibits CYP3A4 in a dose-dependent manner similarly to strong CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole.
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 for Olaparib (Lynparza): your body clears it using an enzyme called CYP3A4. Lab studies hint that betanin, the deep red pigment in beets, can slow that same enzyme down (in a test tube it acted a bit like a strong blocker). If that played out in real life, Olaparib could build up to higher levels, which may mean more of its usual side effects like nausea, tiredness, low blood counts, or feeling generally run down.

I want to be honest, though: this is theoretical, based only on lab research, not on people. Eating beets in normal food amounts is unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated beet supplements are the bigger question mark. Before adding any beet supplement, please run it by your oncology team or pharmacist.

References
  1. Lim SH, Bae S, Lee HS, Han HK, Choi CI. Effect of Betanin, the Major Pigment of Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.), on the Activity of Recombinant Human Cytochrome P450 Enzymes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023;16(9):1224. PubMed

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

Beet Also Interacts With Other Medications

Beet has 642 moderate, 218 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Olaparib one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Beet

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Olaparib

This page covers Beet only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Olaparib page lists 138 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 94 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Olaparib page

“Grapefruit is the first thing to drop if you take Olaparib (Lynparza). It blocks CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that clears this cancer drug, so levels can climb and side effects with them.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Olaparib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,785 real supplement products containing Beet, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Beet. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Olaparib too, on top of Beet — 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 Beet and Olaparib 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 Beet
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Olaparib
Top half

#1,175 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 Beet

What is Beet?

Beet
  • High blood pressure
  • Exercise and athletic performance
  • Heart and circulation support
  • General antioxidant/anti-inflammatory support
  • Liver and digestive support

Beet, especially beetroot juice, is a nitrate-rich food that may modestly lower blood pressure and slightly improve exercise performance in some people. It is generally safe as a food, but supplement effects are modest and not a substitute for prescribed treatment, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before relying on it.

Read the full Beet monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Olaparib

What Is Olaparib Used For?

Brand name: Lynparza

Lynparza (olaparib) is used to treat adults with certain ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancers that carry BRCA or other DNA-repair gene mutations — both as a maintenance therapy after platinum-based chemotherapy (including in combination with bevacizumab for some patients) and for recurrent disease. It is also approved for HER2-negative breast cancer with a germline BRCA mutation, both in early high-risk disease (adjuvant setting) and in metastatic disease.

Lynparza is additionally used as maintenance therapy for adults with germline BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has not progressed on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, and for adults with certain gene-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer — either alone (after prior enzalutamide or abiraterone) or in combination with abiraterone and prednisone or prednisolone. All uses require testing for specific genetic mutations using an FDA-approved companion diagnostic before starting treatment.

See full Olaparib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Beet

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

0Major
642Moderate
218Minor
1,969No known interaction
Moderate

642 interactions

Showing 60 of 642 moderate interactions — see all 642 on the Beet page.

Minor

218 interactions

Showing 60 of 218 minor interactions — see all 218 on the Beet page.

No interaction 1,969 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Beet and Olaparib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beet with Olaparib?
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.
How serious is the Beet and Olaparib 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

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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.