Drug & supplement interaction

Black Seed + Sacubitril, Valsartan

Sacubitril, Valsartan brand name: Entresto.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Sacubitril, Valsartan falls into 3 drug categories that Black Seed can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking black seed with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions3
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Black Seed and Sacubitril, Valsartan

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Black Seed interacts with whole categories of medication. Sacubitril, Valsartan falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Black Seed in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Sacubitril, Valsartan

Sacubitril, Valsartan falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Black Seed interacts with.

Theoretically, taking black seed with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Clinical research suggests that black seed powder and oil might reduce blood pressure by 2-3 mmHg. In animal research, black seed modestly reduces blood pressure and concomitant use of black seed and amlodipine (Norvasc) or metoprolol (Lopressor) increased the blood pressure lowering effects of these drugs.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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: Entresto already lowers your blood pressure as part of how it helps your heart. Black seed, especially in concentrated supplement form, may nudge your blood pressure down a little more (studies suggest only about 2 to 3 mmHg on its own). Stacked on top of Entresto, that extra dip could add up.

What might you feel? Dizziness, lightheadedness when you stand up, unusual tiredness, or feeling faint. The evidence here is fairly modest, and a pinch of black seed used as a kitchen spice is unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated capsules or oil are the bigger question mark. If you'd like to try a supplement, please check with your pharmacist or doctor first, and let them know if you notice any of those symptoms.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Dehkordi FR, Kamkhah AF. Antihypertensive effect of Nigella sativa seed extract in patients with mild hypertension. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2008;22:447-52.
  2. Sahebkar A, Soranna D, Liu X, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of supplementation with Nigella sativa (black seed) on blood pressure. J Hypertens 2016;34:2127-35. PubMed
  3. Alam MA, Bin Jardan YA, Raish M, Al-Mohizea AM, Ahad A, Al-Jenoobi FBI. Effect of Nigella sativa and fenugreek on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of amlodipine in hypertensive rats. Curr Drug Metab. 2020;21(4):318-325. PubMed
  4. Bin Jardan YA, Ahad A, Raish M, Alam MA, Al-Mohizea AM, Al-Jenoobi FI. Effects of garden cress, fenugreek and black seed on the pharmacodynamics of metoprolol: an herb-drug interaction study in rats with hypertension. Pharm Biol 2021;59(1):1088-1097. PubMed
Moderate

DIURETIC DRUGS

2 of 3

Sacubitril, Valsartan also falls under DIURETIC DRUGS.

Theoretically, taking black seed with diuretic drugs might increase potassium loss and the risk of hypokalemia.
Black seed extract has shown diuretic effects in animals, which could theoretically increase potassium loss. This has not been shown in humans.
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 thing to keep in mind with this pairing. In animal studies, black seed acted a bit like a water pill, nudging the body to lose more fluid and potassium. On paper, stacking that on top of another diuretic could push potassium too low. But Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) is a little different. The valsartan part actually tends to raise potassium, not lower it, so its effect often runs the opposite direction from what black seed might do.

Honestly, this is theoretical and only based on animal data, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Food and spice amounts of black seed are very unlikely to matter. If you take concentrated supplement doses, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor, since they may already check your potassium and kidney numbers while you're on Entresto. Don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Zaoui, A., Cherrah, Y., Lacaille-Dubois, M. A., Settaf, A., Amarouch, H., and Hassar, M. [Diuretic and hypotensive effects of Nigella sativa in the spontaneously hypertensive rat]. Therapie 2000;55(3):379-382.
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

3 of 3

Sacubitril, Valsartan also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, black seed might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
In vitro research suggests that thymoquinone, a constituent of black seed, can decrease the metabolism of phenytoin by a mechanism possibly related to the inhibition of CYP2C9. The effect of black seed on CYP2C9 is unclear. This has not been shown in humans.
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 with Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) and black seed. The valsartan part is partly cleared by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. In a test-tube study, a compound in black seed (thymoquinone) slowed that enzyme down. If the same thing happened in people, valsartan could build up a bit, which might nudge your blood pressure lower than expected or bring on side effects like dizziness, lightheadedness, or a higher potassium level.

I want to be straight with you, though: this is only a theoretical concern from lab data, never confirmed in humans, and food-amount black seed is unlikely to matter. Concentrated supplement doses are less studied. Since Entresto is an important heart-failure medicine, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding a black seed supplement rather than changing anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Wang Z, Wang X, Wang Z, et al. Potential herb-drug interaction risk of thymoquinone and phenytoin. Chem Biol Interact. 2022;353:109801. 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

Black Seed Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Seed has 911 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sacubitril, Valsartan one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 911 No known interaction 1,919 (incl. Sacubitril, Valsartan)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Seed

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Black Seed or Sacubitril, Valsartan

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Black Seed or Sacubitril, Valsartan, 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 Sacubitril, Valsartan

This page covers Black Seed only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sacubitril, Valsartan page lists 249 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), Lithium (major) and Oleander (major).

By severity: 7 major · 206 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sacubitril, Valsartan page

“Entresto (sacubitril and valsartan) is a heart failure medicine, and heart failure patients tend to be heavy supplement users, reaching for fish oil, potassium, and herbal blood-pressure remedies. That instinct carries real risk here.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sacubitril, Valsartan interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 226 real supplement products containing Black Seed, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Seed. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sacubitril, Valsartan too, on top of Black Seed — 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 Black Seed and Sacubitril, Valsartan 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 Black Seed
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sacubitril, Valsartan
Top 5%

#75 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 Black Seed

What is Black Seed?

Black Seed
  • Respiratory support (asthma, allergies, cough)
  • Digestive upset
  • Immune support
  • Blood sugar and cholesterol support
  • General inflammation

Black seed (Nigella sativa) is a traditional spice and remedy that has been studied for asthma, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, with early research showing some promise but no firmly proven benefits. It is generally well tolerated in food amounts, but supplement-strength doses are less studied, so talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it—especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Black Seed monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Valsartan and Sacubitril

What Is Valsartan and Sacubitril Used For?

Brand name: Entresto

Sacubitril and valsartan is used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adult patients with chronic heart failure. The benefit is most clearly seen in patients whose heart pumps with a lower-than-normal ejection fraction (the percentage of blood the heart pushes out with each beat).

It is also approved to treat symptomatic heart failure with reduced left ventricular function in children aged 1 year and older. In pediatric patients, it lowers a blood marker of heart stress (NT-proBNP) and is expected to improve heart outcomes.

See full Valsartan and Sacubitril drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Seed

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

0Major
911Moderate
0Minor
1,918No known interaction
911 Moderate 1,918 No interaction
Moderate

911 interactions

Showing 60 of 911 moderate interactions — see all 911 on the Black Seed page.

No interaction 1,918 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,918 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Black Seed list.

See the full Black Seed interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sacubitril, Valsartan, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Black Seed monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Sacubitril, Valsartan supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Sacubitril, Valsartan, ranked by severity Valsartan and Sacubitril drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Black Seed and Sacubitril, Valsartan Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Seed with Sacubitril, Valsartan?
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.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Black Seed and Sacubitril, Valsartan?
Sacubitril, Valsartan belongs to more than one drug category, and Black Seed 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 Black Seed and Sacubitril, Valsartan 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 Sacubitril, Valsartan and Black Seed?

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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.