Drug & supplement interaction

Gardenia + Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) brand name: Pregnyl.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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Interaction report

Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Gardenia in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Gardenia safety at a glance

Gardenia overall Use caution Human safety data are limited, and large or long-term amounts have not been well studied.

Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best to avoid it during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid it while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Gardenia? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is filed under a single classification — thyroid hormone. Gardenia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being stimulant laxatives (moderate) — and none of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Gardenia Does Interact With Other Medications

Gardenia has 21 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 21 No known interaction 2,809 (incl. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG))

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Gardenia

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

What to actually watch for

What Gardenia Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). It is the side-effect record for Gardenia on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Gardenia, this list is the first place to look.

Stomach pain / Vomiting / Nausea Additional detail
“Orally, there are case reports of mesenteric phlebosclerosis, a thickening of the walls of the intestine and mesenteric veins, which can lead to obstruction and occlusion. Typical presenting symptoms are paroxysmal abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, and imaging studies reveal thickening and stiffening of the walls of the ascending and transverse colon, with dark purple discoloration of the colonic and rectal mu…”

Gardenia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.
1 source cited

112954. Tong T, Fu J, Kong Y. Recurrent Abdominal Pain in a 61-Year-Old Woman. Gastroenterology 2023;164(6):887-890. PubMed
A skin rash Additional detail
“Topically, exposure to gardenia fruit extract or the whole plant has been associated with allergic contact dermatitis.

Orally, there is a case report of blue-gray skin pigmentation associated with taking a product containing the extracts of gardenia fruit, phellodendron bark, and licorice for 7 years in a 77-year-old female.”

Gardenia · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.
3 sources cited

26518. Kubo, Y., Nonaka, S., and Yoshida, H. Allergic contact dermatitis from gardenia fruit. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(2):65-7. PubMed

49078. Paulsen, E., Skov, P. S., and Andersen, K. E. Immediate skin and mucosal symptoms from pot plants and vegetables in gardeners and greenhouse workers. Contact Dermatitis 1998;39(4):166-170. PubMed

102698. Mizawa M, Andoh T, Shimizu T. Gardenia fruit-related blue-gray skin pigmentation. JAMA Dermatol. 2020. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Gardenia — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

This page covers Gardenia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) page lists 21 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate), Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 19 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) page

“Tiratricol is the entry to understand first. It is a thyroid hormone in its own right, and it carries the only major rating among the 21 supplements known to interact with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG, sold as Pregnyl).”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 240 real supplement products containing Gardenia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Gardenia. Even though Gardenia itself has no known interaction with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) 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 Gardenia

Steady interest

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

29 days ago today

Medication Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

Top 5%

#80 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.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Gardenia reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Gardenia

What is Gardenia?

Liver and digestive complaints
Fever and inflammation
Anxiety, restlessness, and trouble sleeping
Blood pressure and blood sugar support (traditional)
Natural food and fabric coloring

Gardenia fruit has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine and is also used as a natural food coloring. While early lab and animal studies are interesting, strong human evidence for its health benefits is lacking, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it as a supplement.

Gardenia jasminoides · Rubiaceae · Fruit (the dried ripe fruit, called zhi zi in Chinese medicine), and sometimes the flower · Dried fruit, powders, capsules, teas/decoctions, liquid extracts, and as a natural food coloring (gardenia yellow/blue)

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Gardenia is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Gardenia record says about it on its own.

Gardenia: dosing

There is no standardized, well-established dose for gardenia supplements. Traditional formulas use the dried fruit in decoctions, but products sold today vary widely in strength and form.If you choose to use a gardenia product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Gardenia monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Gardenia monograph & all interactions

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gardenia

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

0Major

21Moderate

0Minor

2,808No known interaction

21 Moderate 2,808 No interaction

Moderate

21 interactions

No interaction 2,808 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,808 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Gardenia list.

See the full Gardenia interactions page

See every supplement checked against Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Gardenia References

The 5 references that drive our Gardenia monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Kubo, Y., Nonaka, S., and Yoshida, H. Allergic contact dermatitis from gardenia fruit. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(2):65-7. PubMed
Yamauchi, K., Fujimoto, N., Kuwano, S., Inouye, H., and Inoue, K. The mechanism of purgative action of geniposide, an iridoid glucoside of the fruit of Gardenia, in mice. Planta Med 1976;30(1):39-47.
Paulsen, E., Skov, P. S., and Andersen, K. E. Immediate skin and mucosal symptoms from pot plants and vegetables in gardeners and greenhouse workers. Contact Dermatitis 1998;39(4):166-170. PubMed
Mizawa M, Andoh T, Shimizu T. Gardenia fruit-related blue-gray skin pigmentation. JAMA Dermatol. 2020. PubMed
Tong T, Fu J, Kong Y. Recurrent Abdominal Pain in a 61-Year-Old Woman. Gastroenterology 2023;164(6):887-890. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gardenia with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)?

We do not list a known interaction between Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

How was the Gardenia and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is filed under 1 classification, and Gardenia has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)'s classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Gardenia interact with any other medications?

Yes. Gardenia has 21 documented drug interactions in our database — Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) interact with any supplements?

Yes. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) has documented interactions with 21 supplements in our database — Gardenia is not one of them. The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Gardenia monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), 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 References The 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Gardenia?

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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.