Drug & supplement interaction

Berberine + Insulin Aspart

Insulin Aspart brand name: Fiasp.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Berberine has a moderate interaction with Insulin Aspart. Theoretically, berberine may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Berberine and Insulin Aspart

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Aspart

Insulin Aspart falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Berberine interacts with.

Theoretically, berberine may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Clinical research shows that berberine may lower blood glucose levels. Theoretically, berberine might have additive effects with antidiabetes drugs and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
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 simple version: both Fiasp (insulin aspart) and berberine push your blood sugar in the same direction, downward. Insulin aspart is a fast-acting mealtime insulin that lowers glucose directly, and berberine may add a little extra glucose-lowering on top. Stack them together and your sugar could dip lower than you expect, which is what we call hypoglycemia.

Watch for the classic signs: shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, sudden hunger, confusion, or feeling dizzy. To be fair, this warning is theoretical, based on how berberine works rather than strong human studies, so it's not a reason to panic. Just don't add berberine on your own. Loop in your pharmacist or doctor first so they can watch your readings and adjust if needed.

References
  1. Zhang Y, Li X, Zou D, et al. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2559-65. PubMed
  2. Yin, J., Xing, H., and Ye, J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2008;57(5):712-717. PubMed
  3. Zhang, H., Wei, J., Xue, R., Wu, J. D., Zhao, W., Wang, Z. Z., Wang, S. K., Zhou, Z. X., Song, D. Q., Wang, Y. M., Pan, H. N., Kong, W. J., and Jiang, J. D. Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin re
  4. Wei, W., Zhao, H., Wang, A., Sui, M., Liang, K., Deng, H., Ma, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., and Guan, Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndro
  5. Blais JE, Huang X, Zhao JV. Overall and Sex-Specific Effect of Berberine for the Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. Drugs 2023;83(5):403-427. 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

Berberine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Berberine has 1 major, 1,158 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Aspart 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 Berberine

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Berberine or Insulin Aspart

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Berberine or Insulin Aspart, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Aspart

This page covers Berberine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Aspart page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Aspart page

“Every one of the 239 supplements listed for insulin aspart (Fiasp) touches the same thing the drug exists to manage, blood sugar, so this list warrants genuine care rather than a quick skim. Most entries add to insulin's glucose-lowering effect, raising the risk of hypoglycemia, and with a rapid-acting mealtime insulin a low can become…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Aspart interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 908 real supplement products containing Berberine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Berberine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Aspart too, on top of Berberine — 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 Berberine and Insulin Aspart 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 Berberine
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Aspart
Steady interest

#1,739 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 Berberine

What is Berberine?

Berberine
  • Blood sugar control
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart and metabolic health
  • Digestive upset
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Weight management

Berberine is a yellow plant compound that has shown promise for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol in some studies, but the quality of research varies and it is not a replacement for prescribed medicine. It can cause stomach upset and should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you take other medications.

Read the full Berberine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection Used For?

Brand name: Fiasp

Insulin aspart is used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in people with diabetes mellitus. It is approved for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults, and for diabetes mellitus in pediatric patients.

Insulin Aspart Protamine and Insulin Aspart Mix 70/30 is a pre-mixed product that combines a rapid-acting and an intermediate-acting insulin aspart. It is approved to improve blood sugar control in adult patients with diabetes mellitus. It is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis, and because its ratio of rapid-acting to intermediate-acting insulin is fixed, it does not allow for separate mealtime versus background dose adjustments.

See full Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Berberine

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

1Major
1,158Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

1,158 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,158 moderate interactions — see all 1,158 on the Berberine page.

No interaction 1,670 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 Berberine and Insulin Aspart Together: Common Questions

Can you take Berberine with Insulin Aspart?
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 Berberine and Insulin Aspart 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 Insulin Aspart and Berberine?

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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.