Drug & supplement interaction

Breadfruit + Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone brand names: Cortef, Hydrocortone, Carmol HC cream, Hydrocortisone Iodoquinol Cream, Vytone Cream, and others.

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

Breadfruit has a minor interaction with Hydrocortisone. Theoretically, breadfruit might inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and increase levels of drugs metabolized by these enzymes; until more is known, use with caution.

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

Breadfruit and Hydrocortisone

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Breadfruit interacts with.

Theoretically, breadfruit might inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and increase levels of drugs metabolized by these enzymes; until more is known, use with caution. In vitro, the breadfruit constituent artocarpin can inhibit CYP3A4 enzymes. Also, animal research shows that breadfruit leaf extract can weakly inhibit CYP3A4 enzymes. However, it is unclear if this inhibitory activity causes a clinically meaningful effect on the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include amitriptyline (Elavil), amiodarone (Cordarone), citalopram (Celexa), felodipine (Plendil), lansoprazole (Prevacid), ondansetron (Zofran), prednisone (Deltasone), sertraline (Zoloft), and many others.
Severity Minor 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. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to clear hydrocortisone out of your body. Lab and animal studies suggest a compound in breadfruit leaves may slow that enzyme down a little. If it does, hydrocortisone could hang around longer and its effects might be slightly stronger, which over time could mean more of the usual steroid side effects like fluid retention, higher blood sugar, mood changes, or trouble sleeping.

That said, I don't want to alarm you. This is only a theoretical concern based on test-tube and animal work, and the effect looked weak. Eating breadfruit as a food is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated leaf teas or extracts are the bigger question mark. If you're using those regularly, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Nwokocha CR, Owu DU, McLaren M, et al. Possible mechanisms of action of the aqueous extract of Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) leaves in producing hypotension in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats. Pharm Biol. 2012;50(9):1096-102.
  2. Qu W, Liu X. Identification of cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of artocarpin and assessment of its drug-drug interaction. Biomed Chromatogr. 2018;32(4). 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

Breadfruit Also Interacts With Other Medications

Breadfruit has 438 moderate, 505 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Hydrocortisone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 438 Minor 505 No known interaction 1,887 (incl. Hydrocortisone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Breadfruit

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Breadfruit or Hydrocortisone

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

This page covers Breadfruit only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrocortisone page lists 205 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Lily-of-the-valley (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 164 moderate · 37 minor.

Open the Hydrocortisone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Breadfruit and Hydrocortisone 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 Breadfruit
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrocortisone
Steady interest

#1,577 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 Breadfruit

What is Breadfruit?

  • Source of nutrition and energy
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes and blood sugar support
  • Inflammation and joint discomfort
  • Skin conditions

Breadfruit is a starchy tropical fruit eaten as a staple food, and its leaves are used in traditional medicine for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. As a food it is nutritious and generally safe, but the medicinal use of leaf teas or extracts has very little human research to back it up. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using breadfruit products for a health condition.

Read the full Breadfruit monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Hydrocortisone

What Is Hydrocortisone Used For?

Brand names: Cortef, Hydrocortone, Carmol HC cream, Hydrocortisone Iodoquinol Cream, Vytone Cream, Massengil Medicated Towelettes, Dioderm, Efcortelan Cream, Mildison, Alphaderm, Calmurid HC, Efcortelan Ointment, Texacort, Alkindi Sprinkle

Hydrocortisone comes in many products, and each one is approved for different uses. Which one you get depends on the condition being treated.

Cortef tablets are used for adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, rheumatic disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis) and collagen diseases such as lupus. Hydrocortisone sodium succinate and Solu-Cortef injections are used when oral therapy is not feasible, for severe allergic states, skin diseases, and adrenal insufficiency. Alkindi (oral granules) is used as replacement therapy in children with adrenocortical insufficiency. Cortenema, Hydrocortisone Rectal Suspension and Cortifoam are used for ulcerative colitis or ulcerative proctitis. Topical hydrocortisone butyrate and valerate products, including Evesse lotion, are used for itchy, inflamed skin conditions and atopic dermatitis.

See full Hydrocortisone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Breadfruit

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

0Major
438Moderate
505Minor
1,886No known interaction
438 Moderate 505 Minor 1,886 No interaction
Moderate

438 interactions

Showing 60 of 438 moderate interactions — see all 438 on the Breadfruit page.

Minor

505 interactions

Showing 60 of 505 minor interactions — see all 505 on the Breadfruit page.

No interaction 1,886 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,886 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Breadfruit list.

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

Can you take Breadfruit with Hydrocortisone?
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 Breadfruit and Hydrocortisone 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 Hydrocortisone and Breadfruit?

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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.