Drug & supplement interaction

Boldo + Simvastatin

Simvastatin brand name: Zocor.

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

Boldo has a moderate interaction with Simvastatin. Theoretically, taking boldo with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of hepatic injury and disease.

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

Boldo and Simvastatin

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Simvastatin

Simvastatin falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Boldo interacts with.

Theoretically, taking boldo with hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of hepatic injury and disease.
Boldo leaf contains ascaridole, a known liver toxin. Many cases of hepatotoxicity, including elevated liver transaminase levels and jaundice, have been reported in patients taking boldo.
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: simvastatin is one of the cholesterol medicines that can occasionally stress your liver on its own. Boldo leaf contains a compound called ascaridole, which can also be hard on the liver, and there have been real reports of people developing liver irritation (raised liver enzymes, even jaundice) while using boldo. So the worry isn't that boldo changes how simvastatin works. It's that you'd be putting two liver stressors together, which could add up.

To be clear, this is a theoretical, anecdote-based concern, not a proven reaction, so I don't want you to panic. But because both can affect the liver, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, and watch for yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness. Only ascaridole-free boldo, used briefly, is considered safer.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Piscaglia F, Leoni S, Venturi A, et al. Caution in the use of boldo in herbal laxatives: a case of hepatotoxicity. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005;40:236-9. PubMed
  2. Ribeiro RJ, Silvestre C, Duarte C. Hidden risks of alternative medicines: a case of boldo-induced hepatotoxicity. J Diet Suppl 2017;14(2):186-90. PubMed
  3. Oliveira Sá A, Pimentel T, Oliveira N. Boldo-Induced Hepatotoxicity: A Case of Unexplained Jaundice. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020;7(12):002116. 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

Boldo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Boldo has 481 moderate 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.

Moderate 481 No known interaction 2,349 (incl. Simvastatin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Boldo

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Boldo 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 Boldo 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 Boldo 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 Boldo as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 173 real supplement products containing Boldo, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Boldo. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Simvastatin too, on top of Boldo — 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 Boldo 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 Boldo
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Simvastatin
Top half

#1,081 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 Boldo

What is Boldo?

Boldo
  • Indigestion and bloating
  • Mild constipation
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Appetite stimulation
  • Urinary complaints

Boldo is a South American shrub whose leaves are traditionally used for digestive and gallbladder complaints, but good human evidence is very limited. The leaves and oil contain ascaridole, which can be toxic to the liver, so only ascaridole-free products should be used and only for short periods. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Boldo 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 & Boldo

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

0Major
481Moderate
0Minor
2,348No known interaction
481 Moderate 2,348 No interaction
Moderate

481 interactions

Showing 60 of 481 moderate interactions — see all 481 on the Boldo page.

No interaction 2,348 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,348 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Boldo list.

See the full Boldo 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
Boldo 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 Boldo and Simvastatin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Boldo 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 Boldo 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 Boldo?

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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.