Drug & supplement interaction

Black Tea + Simvastatin

Simvastatin brand name: Zocor.

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

Black Tea has a moderate interaction with Simvastatin. Theoretically, black tea might reduce the absorption of organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) substrates.

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

Black Tea and Simvastatin

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

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Simvastatin

Simvastatin falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Black Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, black tea might reduce the absorption of organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) substrates.
In vitro, black tea extract inhibits organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP)2B1. OATP2B1 is expressed in the small intestine and liver and is responsible for the uptake of drugs and other compounds. In an animal model, black tea extract was found to inhibit the absorption of rosuvastatin, a substrate of OATP2B1. However, this effect has not been reported 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 for simvastatin (Zocor): black tea contains plant compounds that, at least in lab and animal studies, can block a transporter called OATP that helps pull certain drugs into the body. If that happens, less of your statin could get absorbed, which in theory might make it less effective at lowering your cholesterol. So this is about a possibly weaker effect, not a buildup or more side effects.

I'll be straight with you though: this has only been seen in test tubes and animals, not in real people, so it's pretty theoretical. A normal cup or two of tea is very unlikely to throw off your statin. If you drink a lot of strong tea or take black tea supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor and keep your cholesterol checks on schedule.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kondo A, Narumi K, Okuhara K, et al. Black tea extract and theaflavin derivatives affect the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin by modulating organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 2B1 activity. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 2019;40(8):302-306. 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 Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Black Tea has 8 major, 571 moderate, 114 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Simvastatin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 8 Moderate 571 Minor 114 No known interaction 2,137 (incl. Simvastatin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Black Tea

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Black Tea or Simvastatin

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 Tea or Simvastatin, 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 Simvastatin

This page covers Black Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Simvastatin page lists 183 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 139 moderate · 36 minor.

Open the Simvastatin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 271 real supplement products containing Black Tea, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Black Tea. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Simvastatin too, on top of Black Tea — 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 Tea and Simvastatin 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 Tea
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Simvastatin
Top half

#1,129 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 Tea

What is Black Tea?

  • Mental alertness and energy
  • Heart health support
  • Blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Digestive complaints
  • Weight management
  • Antioxidant support

Black tea is a popular caffeinated drink made from the fully oxidized leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, and it contains caffeine and antioxidant plant compounds. Moderate tea drinking is generally safe for most adults and may modestly support heart health and alertness, but it is not a proven treatment for any disease. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, sensitive to caffeine, or taking medicines, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Black Tea monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Simvastatin

What Is Simvastatin Used For?

Brand name: Zocor

Simvastatin tablets are used alongside a cholesterol-lowering diet to treat high LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), high triglycerides, and certain inherited cholesterol disorders, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) in adults and children aged 10 and older, and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) in adults.

In adults who already have coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, or diabetes and are at high risk for heart events, simvastatin is also used to reduce the risk of death from heart disease, non-fatal heart attack, stroke, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. Zocor is one brand-name product containing simvastatin and carries these same indications.

See full Simvastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Black Tea

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

8Major
571Moderate
114Minor
2,136No known interaction
8 Major 571 Moderate 114 Minor 2,136 No interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

571 interactions

Showing 60 of 571 moderate interactions — see all 571 on the Black Tea page.

Minor

114 interactions

Showing 60 of 114 minor interactions — see all 114 on the Black Tea page.

No interaction 2,136 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,136 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Black Tea list.

See the full Black Tea interactions page
See every supplement checked against Simvastatin, 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 Tea monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Simvastatin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Simvastatin, ranked by severity Simvastatin 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 Tea and Simvastatin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Black Tea with Simvastatin?
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 Black Tea and Simvastatin 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 Simvastatin and Black Tea?

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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.