Drug & supplement interaction

Green Coffee + Alendronate

Alendronate brand names: Fosamax, Binosto.

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

Green Coffee has a moderate interaction with Alendronate. Theoretically, green coffee may decrease the levels and effects of alendronate.

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

Green Coffee and Alendronate

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

Moderate

ALENDRONATE (Fosamax)

Theoretically, green coffee may decrease the levels and effects of alendronate.
In human research, drinking coffee with alendronate reduces the bioavailability of alendronate by 60%. Whether green coffee reduces the bioavailability of alendronate has not been investigated. Separate green coffee ingestion and alendronate administration by two hours.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the deal with alendronate (Fosamax): your body only absorbs a tiny fraction of each dose to begin with, so anything you swallow alongside it can really cut into how much actually gets to work on your bones. Regular coffee has been shown to lower alendronate absorption by about 60 percent, and since green coffee contains similar compounds, it could plausibly do the same. We don't have direct studies on green coffee yet, so this is a theoretical concern based on how it behaves.

Alendronate isn't a prodrug, so less absorption simply means less benefit, weaker protection against bone thinning and fractures over time. The fix is easy: take your alendronate first thing with plain water on an empty stomach, then wait the recommended time before any green coffee. If you're unsure how to space them, your pharmacist can help.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gertz BJ, Holland SD, Kline WF, et al. Studies of the oral bioavailability of alendronate. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1995;58:288-98. 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

Green Coffee Also Interacts With Other Medications

Green Coffee has 8 major, 441 moderate, 222 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Alendronate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 8 Moderate 441 Minor 222 No known interaction 2,159 (incl. Alendronate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Green Coffee

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Green Coffee or Alendronate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Green Coffee or Alendronate, 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 Alendronate

This page covers Green Coffee only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alendronate page lists 25 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Calcium (moderate), Coffee (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate) and Dolomite (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 15 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alendronate page

“Picture the typical Fosamax (alendronate) patient: someone taking a weekly tablet for thinning bones who also takes calcium and other mineral supplements, exactly what fills this list. Nearly all 25 ingredients on file work the same way, binding the drug in the gut or coating it with fiber so less gets absorbed, and a dose that never r…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alendronate interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,716 real supplement products containing Green Coffee, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Green Coffee. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Alendronate too, on top of Green Coffee — 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 Green Coffee and Alendronate 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 Green Coffee
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alendronate
Top half

#838 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 Green Coffee

What is Green Coffee?

Green Coffee
  • Weight loss
  • High blood pressure
  • Blood sugar control
  • Antioxidant support
  • General energy

Green coffee is the unroasted bean of the coffee plant, prized for its high chlorogenic acid content. Some early studies suggest modest benefits for weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar, but the evidence is limited and far from conclusive. It contains caffeine, so people sensitive to stimulants should use caution and check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Green Coffee monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Alendronate

What Is Alendronate Used For?

Brand names: Fosamax, Binosto

Alendronate tablets (including Alendronate, Alendronate Sodium, and Fosamax) are used to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, treat osteoporosis in men, treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (bone loss caused by long-term steroid use) in men and women, and treat Paget's disease of bone. Binosto effervescent tablet is specifically indicated for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and increasing bone mass in men with osteoporosis.

Alendronate Sodium oral solution is indicated for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and increasing bone mass in men with osteoporosis. Alendronate helps build bone mass and reduce the risk of fractures, including hip and spinal fractures.

See full Alendronate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Green Coffee

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

8Major
441Moderate
222Minor
2,158No known interaction
8 Major 441 Moderate 222 Minor 2,158 No interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

441 interactions

Showing 60 of 441 moderate interactions — see all 441 on the Green Coffee page.

Minor

222 interactions

Showing 60 of 222 minor interactions — see all 222 on the Green Coffee page.

No interaction 2,158 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,158 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Green Coffee list.

See the full Green Coffee interactions page
See every supplement checked against Alendronate, 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
Green Coffee monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Alendronate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Alendronate, ranked by severity Alendronate drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication 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 Green Coffee and Alendronate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Green Coffee with Alendronate?
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 Green Coffee and Alendronate 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 Alendronate and Green Coffee?

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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.