Drug & supplement interaction

Honey + Acetylsalicylic acid

Acetylsalicylic acid brand name: Entrophen.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Minor

Honey has a minor interaction with Acetylsalicylic acid. Theoretically, honey may increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

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

Honey and Acetylsalicylic acid

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

Minor

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Acetylsalicylic acid

Acetylsalicylic acid falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Honey interacts with.

Theoretically, honey may increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro, honey inhibits platelet aggregation and increases the time to clotting. Furthermore, animal research suggests that feeding mice large doses of honey for 12 days increases bleeding time when compared with no intervention. However, these effects have not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

Here's the gist: aspirin already thins your blood a bit by stopping platelets from clumping together. That's actually how it helps prevent clots. Honey, at least in lab dishes and in mice fed very large amounts, seems to nudge platelets in the same direction. So in theory, pairing the two could add up and make bleeding or bruising slightly more likely.

The good news is this has never actually been shown in people, and the evidence is only test-tube and animal data. Normal amounts of honey, like a spoonful in tea or on toast, are very unlikely to matter. If you take aspirin daily and notice easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding that won't stop, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor, but there's no need to worry about honey in food.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ahmed, A., Khan, R. A., Azim, M. K., Saeed, S. A., Mesaik, M. A., Ahmed, S., and Imran, I. Effect of natural honey on human platelets and blood coagulation proteins. Pak.J Pharm Sci 2011;24(3):389-397.
  2. Martina SJ, Ramar LAP, Silaban MRI, Luthfi M, Govindan PAP. Antiplatelet Effectivity between Aspirin with Honey on Cardiovascular Disease Based on Bleeding Time Taken on Mice. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Oct 14;7(20):3416-3420. 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

Honey Also Interacts With Other Medications

Honey has 5 moderate, 732 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Acetylsalicylic acid one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 5 Minor 732 No known interaction 2,093 (incl. Acetylsalicylic acid)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Honey

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetylsalicylic acid

This page covers Honey only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetylsalicylic acid page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 206 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetylsalicylic acid page

“Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin, sold as Entrophen) thins the blood by design, which is exactly why this page earns real vigilance rather than a quick skim. Of the 242 supplement and herbal ingredients on file, more than 200 can add to that blood-thinning effect and raise the chance of bruising or bleeding, especially in the stomach.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetylsalicylic acid interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 298 real supplement products containing Honey, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Honey. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetylsalicylic acid too, on top of Honey — 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 Honey and Acetylsalicylic acid 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 Honey
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetylsalicylic acid
Top 5%

#69 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 Honey

What is Honey?

Honey
  • Cough and sore throat
  • Wound and burn care
  • Soothing minor skin irritation
  • Sweetener and home remedy
  • Digestive upset

Honey is a natural food with some real, modest evidence for easing coughs and helping certain wounds, especially when special medical-grade or Manuka honey is used. It is generally safe for most adults and children over 1 year, but should never be given to infants under 12 months because of the risk of botulism.

Read the full Honey monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Aspirin Rectal

What Is Aspirin Rectal Used For?

Brand name: Entrophen

  • Aspirin rectal is used to reduce fever and to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, menstrual periods, arthritis, toothaches, and muscle aches. Aspirin is in a group of medications called salicylates. It works by stopping the production of certain natural substances that cause fever, pain, swelling, and blood clots.

See full Aspirin Rectal drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Honey

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

0Major
5Moderate
732Minor
2,092No known interaction
5 Moderate 732 Minor 2,092 No interaction
Moderate

5 interactions

Minor

732 interactions

Showing 60 of 732 minor interactions — see all 732 on the Honey page.

No interaction 2,092 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,092 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Honey list.

See the full Honey interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acetylsalicylic acid, 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
Honey monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acetylsalicylic acid supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acetylsalicylic acid, ranked by severity Aspirin Rectal 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 Honey and Acetylsalicylic acid Together: Common Questions

Can you take Honey with Acetylsalicylic acid?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Honey and Acetylsalicylic acid interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Acetylsalicylic acid and Honey?

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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.