Drug & supplement interaction

Ginger + Simvastatin, Sitagliptin

Simvastatin, Sitagliptin brand name: Juvisync.

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

Simvastatin, Sitagliptin falls into 2 drug categories that Ginger can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking ginger with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Ginger and Simvastatin, Sitagliptin

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Ginger interacts with whole categories of medication. Simvastatin, Sitagliptin falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Ginger in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Simvastatin, Sitagliptin

Simvastatin, Sitagliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Ginger interacts with.

Theoretically, taking ginger with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal and human research suggests that ginger might increase insulin levels and/or decrease blood glucose levels.
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

Juvisync is really two medicines in one pill: simvastatin, which lowers cholesterol, and sitagliptin, which helps control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. The interaction here is with the sitagliptin (diabetes) part. The idea is that ginger may have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect of its own, so layering it on top of a diabetes medicine could nudge your sugar a little lower than expected.

I want to be honest about the evidence: this is mostly from lab and animal studies, so it's more of a theoretical concern than something that happens to most people. The amount of ginger in cooking is very unlikely to matter. With concentrated ginger supplements, just keep an eye out for low-sugar signs like shakiness, sweating, or feeling lightheaded, and check in with your pharmacist or doctor before starting them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Akhani SP, Vishwakarma SL, Goyal RK. Anti-diabetic activity of Zingiber officinale in streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 2004;56:101-5.
  2. Bhandari U, Kanojia R, Pillai KK. Effect of ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale on dyslipidaemia in diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;97:227-30. PubMed
  3. Ojewole JA. Analgesic, antiinflammatory and hypoglycaemic effects of ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale (Roscoe) rhizomes (Zingiberaceae) in mice and rats. Phytother Res. 2006;20:764-72.
  4. Al-Amin ZM, Thomson M, Al-Qattan KK, et al. Anti-diabetic and hypolipidaemic properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Br J Nutr. 2006;96:660-6.
  5. Islam MS, Choi H. Comparative effects of dietary ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) investigated in a type 2 diabetes model of rats. J Med Food. 2008;11:152-9.
  6. Mahluji S, Attari VE, Mobasseri M, Payahoo L, Ostadrahimi A, Golzari SE. Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on plasma glucose level, HbA1c and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2013;64(6):682-6.
  7. Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Talaei B, Jalali BA, Najarzadeh A, Mozayan MR. The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Complement PubMed
  8. Ebrahimzadeh A, Ebrahimzadeh A, Mirghazanfari SM, Hazrati E, Hadi S, Milajerdi A. The effect of ginger supplementation on metabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Simvastatin, Sitagliptin also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Ginger might increase or decrease the levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research and some case reports suggest that ginger inhibits CYP3A4 activity. Three case reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) adverse drug reaction database describe increased toxicity in patients taking ginger and cancer medications that are CYP3A4 substrates (imatinib, dabrafenib, and crizotinib). However, the causality of this interaction is unclear due to the presence of multiple interacting drugs and routes of administration.
Conversely, other in vitro research suggests that ginger induces CYP3A4 activity, leading to reduced levels of CYP3A4 substrates. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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

Juvisync combines two medicines, and the part to watch here is the simvastatin. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to break simvastatin down, and lab studies hint that ginger could nudge that enzyme in either direction. If ginger slows it down, more simvastatin could linger in your body, which can raise the small risk of muscle aches or, rarely, more serious muscle problems. If ginger speeds it up instead, the cholesterol benefit might dip a bit. The sitagliptin half is not really affected by this.

Here's the honest part: this is based mostly on test-tube and animal data, not solid human reports for these drugs. Everyday ginger in food is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated ginger supplements are worth a quick mention to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. PubMed
  2. Husain I, Dale OR, Idrisi M, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction (HDI) Potential of Zingiber officinale and Its Major Phytoconstituents. J Agric Food Chem. 2023;71(19):7521-7534.
  3. Pochet S, Lechon AS, Lescrainier C, et al. Herb-anticancer drug interactions in real life based on VigiBase, the WHO global database. Sci Rep 2022;12(1):14178. 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

Ginger Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ginger has 873 moderate, 133 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Simvastatin, Sitagliptin one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 873 Minor 133 No known interaction 1,824 (incl. Simvastatin, Sitagliptin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ginger

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Ginger or Simvastatin, 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 Ginger or Simvastatin, 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 Simvastatin, Sitagliptin

This page covers Ginger only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Simvastatin, Sitagliptin page lists 362 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 304 moderate · 50 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Simvastatin, Sitagliptin page

“Juvisync pairs simvastatin for cholesterol with sitagliptin for type 2 diabetes, and that combination carries 362 supplement interactions on file, eight rated major, so read this page with real care rather than a quick skim. Grapefruit stands out as the everyday hazard; it blocks the enzyme that clears simvastatin, raising statin level…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Simvastatin, Sitagliptin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 9,640 real supplement products containing Ginger, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ginger. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Simvastatin, Sitagliptin too, on top of Ginger — 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 Ginger and Simvastatin, 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 Ginger
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Simvastatin, Sitagliptin
Steady interest

#1,735 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 Ginger

What is Ginger?

Ginger
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Motion sickness
  • Morning sickness in pregnancy
  • Digestive upset
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Joint pain and inflammation

Ginger is a widely used culinary spice with a long history in traditional medicine, and it has the strongest evidence for helping with nausea and vomiting, including from motion sickness, pregnancy, and chemotherapy. It is generally safe in food and supplement amounts for most people, though it may cause mild stomach upset. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using ginger supplements, especially if you are pregnant, have a bleeding disorder, or take other medicines.

Read the full Ginger monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ginger

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

0Major
873Moderate
133Minor
1,823No known interaction
873 Moderate 133 Minor 1,823 No interaction
Moderate

873 interactions

Showing 60 of 873 moderate interactions — see all 873 on the Ginger page.

Minor

133 interactions

Showing 60 of 133 minor interactions — see all 133 on the Ginger page.

No interaction 1,823 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,823 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ginger list.

See the full Ginger interactions page
See every supplement checked against Simvastatin, Sitagliptin, 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
Ginger monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Simvastatin, Sitagliptin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Simvastatin, Sitagliptin, 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 Ginger and Simvastatin, Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Ginger with Simvastatin, 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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Ginger and Simvastatin, Sitagliptin?
Simvastatin, Sitagliptin belongs to more than one drug category, and Ginger interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Ginger and Simvastatin, 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 Simvastatin, Sitagliptin and Ginger?

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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.