Drug & supplement interaction

Goji + Aliskiren

Aliskiren brand name: Tekturna.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Aliskiren falls into 2 drug categories that Goji can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use of goji root bark, but not goji fruit, with antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects.

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

Goji and Aliskiren

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aliskiren

Aliskiren falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Goji interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of goji root bark, but not goji fruit, with antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects.
Animal and in vitro research suggest that goji root bark has hypotensive effects. However, goji fruit juice does not appear to reduce systolic or diastolic blood pressure 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

Here's the gist for Tekturna (aliskiren), your blood pressure pill. There's a theoretical concern that goji root bark could nudge your blood pressure even lower when added to a blood pressure medicine. If they stacked up, you might feel a bit dizzy, lightheaded, or tired, especially when you stand up quickly.

Now, the reassuring part: this is based on lab and animal studies of the root bark, not the part most people eat. The everyday goji fruit and juice have not been shown to lower blood pressure in people, so snacking on the berries is unlikely to cause trouble. If you're considering a concentrated goji supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Huang KC. The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1999.
  2. Amagase H, Nance DM. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi. J Altern Complement Med 2008;14:403-12.
  3. Potterat O. Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense): Phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety in the perspective of traditional uses and recent popularity. Planta Med 2010;76(1):7-19.
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Aliskiren also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, goji berry might inhibit CYP3A4 and reduce metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that goji berry juice inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. Concomitant use with goji may decrease metabolism and increase levels of CYP3A4 substrates. However, this 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

Here's the gist with goji and your aliskiren (Tekturna). Your body uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to help clear aliskiren. In the test tube, goji juice slowed that enzyme down. If that happened in real life, less of the drug would get broken down, so more could linger in your system. For a blood pressure medicine, that could mean a bigger drop in pressure than expected, leaving you feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or tired.

The important part: this is only lab data, and it has never actually been seen in people. Food amounts of goji berries are very unlikely to cause trouble. Concentrated goji supplements are the bigger question mark. If you'd like to add one, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor first so they can keep an eye on your numbers.

References
  1. Liu R, Tam TW, Mao J, et al. In vitro activity of Lycium barbarum (Goji) against major human phase I metabolism enzymes. Complement Integr Med. 2016;13(3):257-265.

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

Goji Also Interacts With Other Medications

Goji has 2 major, 929 moderate, 68 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aliskiren one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Goji

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aliskiren

This page covers Goji only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aliskiren page lists 227 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Grapefruit (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 180 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aliskiren page

“Aliskiren (Tekturna) has one job, keeping blood pressure down, and most of this list pulls on that same rope. Of the 227 supplements with an interaction on file, 119 have blood-pressure effects of their own, stacking with the drug until pressure drops too far (fish oil is a common one) or pushing back against it.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aliskiren interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,738 real supplement products containing Goji, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Goji. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aliskiren too, on top of Goji — 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 Goji and Aliskiren 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 Goji
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Aliskiren
Top half

#747 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 Goji

What is Goji?

Goji
  • General antioxidant support
  • Eye health
  • Immune support
  • Anti-aging and well-being
  • Blood sugar support

Goji berries are a nutritious fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and plant polysaccharides, and they are safe for most people as a food. While they are popular for eye health, immune support, and general wellness, strong human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated goji supplements, especially if you take medications or are pregnant.

Read the full Goji monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Aliskiren

What Is Aliskiren Used For?

Brand name: Tekturna

Aliskiren and Tekturna tablets are both approved to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults and in children who are at least 6 years old and weigh 50 kg (about 110 lbs) or more. Lowering high blood pressure reduces the risk of serious events like strokes and heart attacks.

Managing blood pressure is usually part of a broader plan that may also include diet changes, exercise, cholesterol control, and other medications. Many people need more than one blood pressure drug to reach their goal.

See full Aliskiren drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Goji

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

2Major
929Moderate
68Minor
1,830No known interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

929 interactions

Showing 60 of 929 moderate interactions — see all 929 on the Goji page.

Minor

68 interactions

Showing 60 of 68 minor interactions — see all 68 on the Goji page.

No interaction 1,830 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 Goji and Aliskiren Together: Common Questions

Can you take Goji with Aliskiren?
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 Goji and Aliskiren?
Aliskiren belongs to more than one drug category, and Goji 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 Goji and Aliskiren 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

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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.