Drug & supplement interaction

Chicory + Insulin

Insulin brand name: NovoRapid Insulin.

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

Chicory has a moderate interaction with Insulin. Theoretically, chicory might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Chicory and Insulin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin

Insulin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Chicory interacts with.

Theoretically, chicory might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal and in vitro research shows that chicory extracts have antidiabetic effects.
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 with chicory and your insulin (like NovoRapid): chicory may have a mild blood sugar lowering effect of its own. If you stack that on top of insulin, which already drives your sugar down, the two together could push your levels a little too low. That's hypoglycemia, and it can show up as shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

Now, the honest part: this concern is theoretical, coming mostly from animal and lab studies, not from people. A cup of chicory coffee likely won't rock the boat. More concentrated chicory or inulin supplements are the bigger question mark. If you'd like to try them, just keep checking your sugars and loop in your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Street RA, Sidana J, Prinsloo G. Cichorium intybus: traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013;2013:579319.
  2. Devi Kt R, Sivalingam N. Cichorium intybus attenuates Streptozotocin-induced pancreatic ß-cell damage by inhibiting NF-?B activation and oxidative stress. J Appl Biomed 2020;18(2-3):70-9. 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

Chicory Also Interacts With Other Medications

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

Moderate 85 No known interaction 2,745 (incl. Insulin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chicory

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin

This page covers Chicory only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin page

“Someone injecting insulin (NovoRapid) is often the same person browsing supplements sold for blood sugar support, which is exactly why this list warrants genuine caution. Nearly all 242 entries push glucose one way or the other, most often further down, stacking with insulin and raising the risk of hypoglycemia, meaning dangerously low…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 458 real supplement products containing Chicory, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chicory. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin too, on top of Chicory — 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 Chicory and Insulin 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 Chicory
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin
Top half

#947 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 Chicory

What is Chicory?

Chicory
  • Constipation and digestive health
  • Source of prebiotic fiber (inulin)
  • Coffee substitute
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • Appetite and blood sugar (traditional)

Chicory is best known as a caffeine-free coffee substitute and as a source of inulin, a soluble prebiotic fiber that may support digestion and regularity. Strong human evidence for most other traditional uses (like liver, gallbladder, or skin conditions) is limited. It is generally well tolerated, but the inulin can cause gas and bloating, and people allergic to ragweed or related plants should be cautious.

Read the full Chicory monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chicory

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Chicory — 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
85 Moderate 2,744 No interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

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

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,744 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chicory list.

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

Can you take Chicory with Insulin?
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 Chicory and Insulin 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 Insulin and Chicory?

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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.