Drug & supplement interaction

Beta-glucans + Mesalamine

Mesalamine brand names: Pentasa, Asacol, Canasa, Rowasa, Lialda, and others.

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 Beta-glucans and Mesalamine 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 Mesalamine states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Beta-glucans and Mesalamine

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 Mesalamine and Beta-glucans 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.

Beta-glucans safety at a glance

Beta-glucans overall Generally safe Beta-glucans from food sources are generally well tolerated by most people.
Pregnancy Use caution Beta-glucans in normal food amounts are likely fine, but concentrated supplements lack safety data, so use caution.
Breastfeeding Use caution There is little research on supplement doses during breastfeeding, so caution is advised.

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

Still wondering about combining Mesalamine and Beta-glucans? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Mesalamine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Mesalamine is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Beta-glucans has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Mesalamine’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

Beta-glucans Does Interact With Other Medications

Beta-glucans has 293 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Mesalamine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 293 No known interaction 2,537 (incl. Mesalamine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Beta-glucans

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

What to actually watch for

What Beta-glucans Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Mesalamine. It is the side-effect record for Beta-glucans on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Beta-glucans, this list is the first place to look.

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Topically, a specific beta-glucans cream (Imunoglukan P4H, PLEURAN s.r.o.) has been reported to cause skin reactions and contact dermatitis in one clinical trial. These reactions occurred in 27% of patients; reactions were mild and self-limiting in 12% of patients.”

    Beta-glucans · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 98201. Jesenak M, Urbancek S, Majtan J, Banovcin P, Hercogova J. ß-Glucan-based cream (containing pleuran isolated from pleurotus ostreatus) in supportive treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. J Dermatolog Treat 2016;27(4):351-4.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Beta-glucans — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Mesalamine’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Mesalamine column appears here.

How to take them

Some Mesalamine Products Have a Food Rule — Beta-glucans Should Not Break It

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

( 2 ) Administer mesalamine delayed-release tablets with food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Mesalamine — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Mesalamine drug page ›

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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Beta-glucans or Mesalamine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Beta-glucans or Mesalamine, 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 Mesalamine

This page covers Beta-glucans only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Mesalamine 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 Mesalamine page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry here I would treat as a genuine problem for anyone taking mesalamine (Asacol, Lialda, Pentasa, and others). It is the lone major-rated interaction among the 17 on file, because charcoal soaks up drugs in the gut and can pull mesalamine out of the picture before it does its job.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Mesalamine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Beta-glucans as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 809 real supplement products containing Beta-glucans, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Beta-glucans. Even though Beta-glucans itself has no known interaction with Mesalamine, 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 Beta-glucans and Mesalamine 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 Beta-glucans
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Mesalamine
Top half

#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.

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 Beta-glucans reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Beta-glucans and Mesalamine 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 Beta-glucans

What is Beta-glucans?

  • High cholesterol
  • Heart health
  • Immune support
  • Blood sugar control
  • Wound care (topical)

Beta-glucans are natural fibers found in oats, barley, mushrooms, and yeast. The strongest evidence supports the oat and barley types for modestly lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, while immune-related claims from yeast and mushroom sources are far less proven. They are generally well tolerated, but check with your pharmacist before starting any supplement.

Cell walls of yeast, mushrooms, oats, and barley · Capsules, tablets, powders, oat or barley foods, topical creams

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

Beta-glucans: dosing

There is no single "official" supplement dose for all beta-glucans, and the right amount depends on the source and the product. For cholesterol benefits from oats and barley, health authorities often refer to a daily amount of beta-glucan as part of the diet, which can be reached by eating oat and barley foods or using a labeled supplement.Yeast and mushroom beta-glucan supplements vary widely, and a clearly proven dose has not been established.

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

Read the full Beta-glucans monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Mesalamine

What Is Mesalamine Used For?

Brand names: Pentasa, Asacol, Canasa, Rowasa, Lialda, Delzicol

Mesalamine is used to treat mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis — a condition where the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated. Depending on the product and formulation, it can be used to bring the disease under control (induction of remission) and/or to keep it from coming back (maintenance of remission).

Different products target different parts of the lower digestive tract. Oral forms (tablets and capsules) treat the colon more broadly. Rectal forms — including enemas (ROWASA, sfROWASA, mesalamine rectal suspension) — are used for distal ulcerative colitis, proctosigmoiditis, or proctitis (inflammation limited to the lower end of the colon or rectum). Rectal suppositories (CANASA, mesalamine rectal suppositories) are specifically for ulcerative proctitis (inflammation of the rectum only).

See full Mesalamine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Beta-glucans

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

0Major
293Moderate
0Minor
2,536No known interaction
293 Moderate 2,536 No interaction
Moderate

293 interactions

Showing 60 of 293 moderate interactions — see all 293 on the Beta-glucans page.

No interaction 2,536 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,536 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Beta-glucans list.

See the full Beta-glucans interactions page
See every supplement checked against Mesalamine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Beta-glucans References

The 11 references that drive our Beta-glucans 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. Katz, D. L., Nawaz, H., Boukhalil, J., Giannamore, V., Chan, W., Ahmadi, R., and Sarrel, P. M. Acute effects of oats and vitamin E on endothelial responses to ingested fat. Am.J.Prev.Med. 2001;20(2):124-129. PubMed
  2. Keenan, J. M., Pins, J. J., Frazel, C., Moran, A., and Turnquist, L. Oat ingestion reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with mild or borderline hypertension: a pilot trial. J.Fam.Pract. 2002;51(4):369.
  3. Maki, K. C., Galant, R., Samuel, P., Tesser, J., Witchger, M. S., Ribaya-Mercado, J. D., Blumberg, J. B., and Geohas, J. Effects of consuming foods containing oat beta-glucan on blood pressure, carbohydrate metabolism and biomarkers of oxidative stress i
  4. Bergendiova, K., Tibenska, E., and Majtan, J. Pleuran (beta-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) supplementation, cellular immune response and respiratory tract infections in athletes. Eur.J.Appl.Physiol 2011;111(9):2033-2040.
  5. Talbott S, Talbott J. Effect of beta 1,3/1,6 glucan on respiratory tract infection symptoms and mood state in marathon athletes. J Sports Sci Med 2009;8(4):509-515.
  6. Feldman S, Schwartz HI Kalman DS Mayers A Kohrman HM Clemens R Krieger DR. Randomized phase II clinical trials of Wellmune WGP® for immune support during cold and flu season. The Journal of Applied Research 2009;9(1-2):30-42.
  7. McFarlin BK, Carpenter KC, Davidson T, McFarlin MA. Baker's yeast beta glucan supplementation increases salivary IgA and decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise. J Diet Suppl. 2013;10(3):171-83. PubMed
  8. Jesenak M, Urbancek S, Majtan J, Banovcin P, Hercogova J. ß-Glucan-based cream (containing pleuran isolated from pleurotus ostreatus) in supportive treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. J Dermatolog Treat 2016;27(4):351-4.
  9. Mah E, Kaden VN, Kelley KM, Liska DJ. Beverage containing dispersible yeast ß-glucan decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise: a randomized controlled trial. J Diet Suppl 2020;17(2):200-10. PubMed
  10. Zhong K, Liu Z, Lu Y, Xu X. Effects of yeast ß-glucans for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in healthy subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nutr. 2021. PubMed
  11. Cardenas FI, Mauguen A, Cheung IY, et al. Phase I trial of oral yeast-derived ß-glucan to enhance anti-GD2 immunotherapy of resistant high-risk neuroblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021;13(24):6265. 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 Beta-glucans and Mesalamine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Beta-glucans with Mesalamine?
We do not list a known interaction between Beta-glucans and Mesalamine. 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.
Should I take Beta-glucans and Mesalamine at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Mesalamine says to take it with food. If you take Beta-glucans on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Mesalamine with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Mesalamine products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Beta-glucans and Mesalamine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Mesalamine is filed under 1 classification, and Beta-glucans has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Mesalamine'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 Beta-glucans interact with any other medications?
Yes. Beta-glucans has 293 documented drug interactions in our database — Mesalamine 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 Mesalamine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Mesalamine has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Beta-glucans is not one of them. The Mesalamine 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

Beta-glucans monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Mesalamine drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Mesalamine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Mesalamine, 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 Mesalamine and Beta-glucans?

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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.