Drug & supplement interaction

Blueberry + Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone brand name: Actos.

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

Blueberry has a minor interaction with Pioglitazone. Theoretically, blueberries or blueberry leaf extracts might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Blueberry and Pioglitazone

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Blueberry interacts with.

Theoretically, blueberries or blueberry leaf extracts might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal and in vitro research suggests that blueberry and/or blueberry leaf extracts can lower blood glucose levels.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for anyone taking pioglitazone (Actos) and wondering about blueberries. Pioglitazone already works by making your body more sensitive to insulin, which lowers blood sugar. Some early lab and animal research hints that concentrated blueberry or blueberry leaf extracts might also nudge blood sugar down a bit. Stacked together, the theory is they could add up and push you toward a low (hypoglycemia), with signs like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or feeling foggy.

That said, this is a minor and unlikely concern based only on weak, early evidence. Eating blueberries as a regular food almost certainly won't cause trouble. If you're considering a high-dose blueberry extract, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first, and keep an eye on your blood sugar readings.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Cignarella A, Nastasi M, Cavalli E, Puglisi L. Novel lipid-lowering properties of Vaccinium myrtillus L. leaves, a traditional antidiabetic treatment, in several models of rat dyslipidaemia: a comparison with ciprofibrate. Thromb Res 1996;84:311-22. PubMed
  2. Martineau, L. C., Couture, A., Spoor, D., Benhaddou-Andaloussi, A., Harris, C., Meddah, B., Leduc, C., Burt, A., Vuong, T., Mai, Le P., Prentki, M., Bennett, S. A., Arnason, J. T., and Haddad, P. S. Anti-diabetic properties of the Canadian lowbush bluebe
  3. Vuong, T., Martineau, L. C., Ramassamy, C., Matar, C., and Haddad, P. S. Fermented Canadian lowbush blueberry juice stimulates glucose uptake and AMP-activated protein kinase in insulin-sensitive cultured muscle cells and adipocytes. Can J Physiol Pharma

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

Blueberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Blueberry has 87 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Pioglitazone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 87 No known interaction 2,743 (incl. Pioglitazone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Blueberry

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pioglitazone

This page covers Blueberry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pioglitazone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 309 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pioglitazone page

“Most of what appears on this pioglitazone (Actos) list shares one trait: the ingredients lower blood sugar on their own, which sounds helpful until you remember pioglitazone already does that job for people with type 2 diabetes. Stacked together, they can push glucose too low, and I would read this list with genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pioglitazone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 5,076 real supplement products containing Blueberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Blueberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pioglitazone too, on top of Blueberry — 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 Blueberry and Pioglitazone 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 Blueberry
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pioglitazone
Steady interest

#2,298 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 Blueberry

What is Blueberry?

  • Antioxidant support
  • Heart health
  • Brain and memory health
  • Blood sugar support
  • Eye health
  • Urinary health

Blueberries are a nutritious fruit rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins, and eating them as part of a balanced diet is healthy and safe for most people. Concentrated supplements are marketed for heart, brain, and blood sugar health, but the evidence is mostly early and not strong enough to promise specific benefits. Enjoy blueberries as food, and talk to your pharmacist before using high-dose extracts.

Read the full Blueberry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pioglitazone

What Is Pioglitazone Used For?

Brand name: Actos

Pioglitazone tablets — sold as Actos and under the generic names Pioglitazone and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride — are used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are taken along with diet and exercise, either alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as a sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin.

Pioglitazone is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes too acidic). It only works when the body is still producing some of its own insulin.

See full Pioglitazone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Blueberry

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

0Major
0Moderate
87Minor
2,742No known interaction
87 Minor 2,742 No interaction
Minor

87 interactions

Showing 60 of 87 minor interactions — see all 87 on the Blueberry page.

No interaction 2,742 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,742 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Blueberry list.

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

Can you take Blueberry with Pioglitazone?
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.
How serious is the Blueberry and Pioglitazone 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

Still Have a Question About Pioglitazone and Blueberry?

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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.