Drug & supplement interaction

Garcinia + Fruquintinib

Fruquintinib brand name: Fruzaqla.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Garcinia has a moderate interaction with Fruquintinib. Theoretically, concomitant use with other potentially hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of developing liver damage.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Garcinia and Fruquintinib

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Fruquintinib

Fruquintinib falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Garcinia interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with other potentially hepatotoxic drugs might increase the risk of developing liver damage.
There have been reports of acute hepatitis with elevated liver enzymes associated with garcinia, when taken alone or in combination with other ingredients. Case reports collected from the Drug Induced Liver Injury Network suggest this risk may be greater in people who carry the HLA B*35:01 allele.
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 concern with pairing Garcinia and Fruquintinib (Fruzaqla). This isn't about one changing how the other is broken down. It's about both being hard on the same organ, your liver. Fruquintinib, a cancer medication, can already raise liver enzymes on its own, and doctors routinely watch bloodwork for that. Garcinia has its own rare reports of liver injury and even acute hepatitis, sometimes worse in people carrying a certain gene.

Stacking two things that can stress the liver may, in theory, raise the chance of trouble. Warning signs to know: yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness. This link is theoretical, but with a serious drug like this I'd skip the Garcinia. Please check with your oncologist or pharmacist first.

References
  1. Stevens T, Qadri A, Zein NN. Two patients with acute liver injury associated with use of the herbal weight-loss supplement hydroxycut. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:477-8. PubMed
  2. Bunchorntavakul, C. and Reddy, K. R. Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity. Aliment.Pharmacol.Ther 2013;37(1):3-17. PubMed
  3. Dara L, Hewett J, Lim JK. Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity: a case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements. World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Dec 7;14(45):6999-7004. PubMed
  4. Sharma T, Wong L, Tsai N, Wong RD. Hydroxycut(®) (herbal weight loss supplement) induced hepatotoxicity: a case report and review of literature. Hawaii Med J. 2010 Aug;69(8):188-90.
  5. Rashid NN, Grant J. Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity. Med J Aust. 2010 Feb 1;192(3):173-4. PubMed
  6. Corey R, Werner KT, Singer A, Moss A, Smith M, Noelting J, Rakela J. Acute liver failure associated with Garcinia cambogia use. Ann Hepatol. 2016 Jan-Feb;15(1):123-6. PubMed
  7. Melendez-Rosado J, Snipelisky D, Matcha G, Stancampiano F. Acute hepatitis induced by pure Garcinia cambogia. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2015 May-Jun;49(5):449-50. PubMed
  8. García-Cortés M, Robles-Díaz M, Ortega-Alonso A, Medina-Caliz I, Andrade RJ. Hepatotoxicity by Dietary Supplements: A Tabular Listing and Clinical Characteristics. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Apr 9;17(4):537. PubMed
  9. Yousaf MN, Chaudhary FS, Hodanazari SM, Sittambalam CD. Hepatotoxicity associated with Garcinia cambogia: a case report. World J Hepatol 2019;11(11):735-42.
  10. Mas Ordeig A, Bordón García N. Hepatotoxicity caused by Garcinia cambogia. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020;43(3):134-5. DOI
  11. Vuppalanchi R, Bonkovsky HL, Ahmad J, et al. Garcinia cambogia, Either Alone or in Combination With Green Tea, Causes Moderate to Severe Liver Injury. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021. 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

Garcinia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Garcinia has 703 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Fruquintinib 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 Garcinia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Fruquintinib

This page covers Garcinia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Fruquintinib page lists 168 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 · 124 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Fruquintinib page

“Fruquintinib (Fruzaqla) is an oral targeted therapy for advanced colorectal cancer, which means keeping its blood level steady is part of what makes it work, and I would treat this supplement list with genuine care. Of the 168 ingredients on file, the large majority interact through CYP3A4, the liver enzyme that clears the drug, so the…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Fruquintinib interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,374 real supplement products containing Garcinia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Garcinia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Fruquintinib too, on top of Garcinia — 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 Garcinia and Fruquintinib 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 Garcinia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Fruquintinib
Steady interest

#2,293 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 Garcinia

What is Garcinia?

Garcinia
  • Weight loss
  • Appetite suppression
  • Curbing sugar and carb cravings
  • Supporting metabolism
  • Traditional cooking and souring agent

Garcinia is a tropical fruit whose rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), widely marketed for weight loss and appetite control. The scientific evidence is weak and mixed, with most studies showing only small or no meaningful weight effects, and rare reports of liver problems raise safety concerns. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have liver issues, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Read the full Garcinia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Fruquintinib

What Is Fruquintinib Used For?

Brand name: Fruzaqla

Fruzaqla (fruquintinib) is used to treat adults with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) — colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is specifically for patients who have already been treated with several standard chemotherapy regimens and other targeted therapies.

Fruzaqla is intended for patients who have previously received fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, an anti-VEGF therapy, and — if their tumor is RAS wild-type and it is medically appropriate — an anti-EGFR therapy.

See full Fruquintinib drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Garcinia

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

0Major
703Moderate
0Minor
2,126No known interaction
Moderate

703 interactions

Showing 60 of 703 moderate interactions — see all 703 on the Garcinia page.

No interaction 2,126 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Garcinia and Fruquintinib Together: Common Questions

Can you take Garcinia with Fruquintinib?
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 Garcinia and Fruquintinib 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 Fruquintinib and Garcinia?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.