Drug & supplement interaction

Beet + Propranolol Hydrochloride

Propranolol Hydrochloride brand name: Hemangeol.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Propranolol Hydrochloride falls into 2 drug categories that Beet can interact with; the most serious is rated minor. Beet and beetroot contain nitrates, which can cause vasodilation, potentially leading to lower blood pressure.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceA
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Beet and Propranolol Hydrochloride

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Minor

Antihypertensive Drugs

1 of 2

Why this applies to Propranolol Hydrochloride

Propranolol Hydrochloride falls under Antihypertensive Drugs — the group Beet interacts with.

Beet and beetroot contain nitrates, which can cause vasodilation, potentially leading to lower blood pressure. However, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition using concentrated beetroot juice found no significant impact on blood pressure or heart rate in different age groups. Other small clinical studies suggest that while beet consumption might transiently lower blood pressure due to vessel dilation, there's no consistent evidence of a lasting effect. Overall, the theoretical risk of reduced blood pressure due to beet's nitrate content exists, but studies generally indicate a low and temporary impact rather than a sustained decrease.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence A

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 simple version. Propranolol is a beta blocker that works partly by relaxing and narrowing blood vessels and easing the heart's workload, which can lower blood pressure. Beets, especially concentrated beetroot juice, are rich in nitrates that the body turns into nitric oxide, a substance that widens blood vessels. So in theory the two could nudge blood pressure in the same direction, adding up to a slightly bigger drop.

In practice this is rated minor. Studies show any blood pressure effect from beets tends to be small and short-lived, not a lasting change. Beets in normal food amounts are very unlikely to cause trouble. If you, or in this case your infant on the oral solution, are using beetroot supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or pediatrician and watch for unusual sleepiness, sluggishness, or feeding changes.

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Propranolol Hydrochloride also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, beet might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research suggests that beet induces CYP1A2 enzymes.
Severity Minor 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 propranolol, which your body partly clears using a liver enzyme called CYP1A2. Lab studies (test-tube, not people) hint that beet might rev up that enzyme a little. If that happened, propranolol could get broken down faster, so there might be slightly less of it in the body and a touch less effect.

Honestly, I wouldn't lose sleep over this one. The evidence is very weak and only theoretical, and eating beets or drinking some beetroot juice is unlikely to change how propranolol works. Since this medicine is often given to babies for hemangiomas, any diet or supplement question for an infant deserves a quick check. Please run it by your pharmacist or your child's doctor before adding concentrated beet supplements.

References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. 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 643 moderate, 217 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Propranolol Hydrochloride one above is among 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 Propranolol Hydrochloride

This page covers Beet only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Propranolol Hydrochloride page lists 236 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

Open the Propranolol Hydrochloride 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 Propranolol Hydrochloride 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 Propranolol Hydrochloride 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Propranolol Hydrochloride
Top half

#1,030 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 Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma)

What Is Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma) Used For?

Brand name: Hemangeol

This intravenous (IV) form of propranolol is used in hospital settings to treat serious, life-threatening heart rhythm problems. It works on several types of abnormal rhythms, including those that happen during anesthesia or are caused by drug toxicity.

Specific uses include fast heart rhythms coming from the upper chambers of the heart (supraventricular tachycardia), dangerous rhythms caused by too much digitalis in the body, and certain fast rhythms triggered by excess stress hormones (catecholamines) during surgery.

See full Propranolol (Infantile Hemangioma) 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
643Moderate
217Minor
1,969No known interaction
Moderate

643 interactions

Showing 60 of 643 moderate interactions — see all 643 on the Beet page.

Minor

217 interactions

Showing 60 of 217 minor interactions — see all 217 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 Propranolol Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beet with Propranolol Hydrochloride?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Beet and Propranolol Hydrochloride?
Propranolol Hydrochloride belongs to more than one drug category, and Beet 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 Beet and Propranolol Hydrochloride interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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.