Drug & supplement interaction

Cashew + Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin brand names: Januvia, Zituvio.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Cashew has a moderate interaction with Sitagliptin. Eating a diet that consists of high amounts of cashew might increase fasting blood glucose levels.

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

Cashew and Sitagliptin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Cashew interacts with.

Eating a diet that consists of high amounts of cashew might increase fasting blood glucose levels. However, other evidence shows that eating 30 grams of cashew daily does not significantly affect glycemic measures. Until more is known, use with caution in combination with antidiabetes drugs. Theoretically, concomitant use might reduce the effects of antidiabetes drugs. Dosing adjustments for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents may be necessary.
Oral hypoglycemic drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase), tolazamide (Tolinase), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
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 short version: enjoying cashews as a snack and taking your sitagliptin (Januvia) for type 2 diabetes generally isn't something to worry about. The concern on file is purely theoretical. Some early research suggested that eating very large amounts of cashews might nudge fasting blood sugar up a little, which could in theory work against your medication. But other studies showed that about 30 grams a day (a normal handful) didn't meaningfully change blood sugar at all.

So a typical serving in your diet is unlikely to undo what Januvia is doing. If you decide to eat cashews in big, concentrated amounts every day, just keep an eye on your home glucose readings and mention it to your pharmacist or doctor before making any changes to your medicine.

References
  1. Schutte, A. E., Van Rooyen, J. M., Huisman, H. W., Mukuddem-Petersen, J., Oosthuizen, W., Hanekom, S. M., and Jerling, J. C. Modulation of baroreflex sensitivity by walnuts versus cashew nuts in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Am.J Hypertens. 2006;19(6 PubMed
  2. Mohan V, Gayathri R, Jaacks LM, et al. Cashew nut consumption increases HDL cholesterol and reduces systolic blood pressure in Asian Indians with Type 2 diabetes: A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2018;148(1):63-69. 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

Cashew Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cashew has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sitagliptin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cashew

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Cashew or Sitagliptin

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

This page covers Cashew only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sitagliptin page lists 256 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 215 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Sitagliptin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 10 real supplement products containing Cashew, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cashew. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sitagliptin too, on top of Cashew — 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 Cashew and Sitagliptin 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 Cashew
Steady interest

#1,196 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Sitagliptin
Top half

#851 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 Cashew

What is Cashew?

Cashew
  • Heart health support
  • Source of protein and minerals
  • Blood sugar support
  • Traditional digestive remedy
  • Skin and oral care (traditional)

Cashews are a nutritious tree nut that provides protein, healthy fats, fiber, and minerals like magnesium and copper. Eaten as part of a balanced diet, they may support heart health, but evidence for cashew supplements treating any specific disease is limited. People with tree nut allergies must avoid them entirely.

Read the full Cashew monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sitagliptin

What Is Sitagliptin Used For?

Brand names: Januvia, Zituvio

Sitagliptin is used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is available as tablets (Januvia, Zituvio, and generic sitagliptin products) and as an oral solution (Brynovin), all approved for this same use.

Sitagliptin is not for type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis, so its safety in that group is unknown.

See full Sitagliptin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cashew

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

0Major
85Moderate
0Minor
2,744No known interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Cashew page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cashew and Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cashew with Sitagliptin?
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 Cashew and Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin and Cashew?

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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.