Drug & supplement interaction

Hoodia + Insulin Aspart

Insulin Aspart brand name: Fiasp.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Hoodia has a moderate interaction with Insulin Aspart. Animal research shows that a steroid glycoside of hoodia, gordonoside F, increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by activating GPR119.

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

Hoodia and Insulin Aspart

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Aspart

Insulin Aspart falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Hoodia interacts with.

Animal research shows that a steroid glycoside of hoodia, gordonoside F, increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by activating GPR119. This effect enhances glucose disposal. Theoretically, concomitant use of hoodia with antidiabetes medications may enhance blood glucose-lowering effects and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Some antidiabetes medications include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
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 thing to keep in mind if you're using insulin aspart (Fiasp) and thinking about hoodia. Insulin aspart already does the heavy lifting of lowering your blood sugar. In animal studies, one of hoodia's compounds (gordonoside F) nudged the body to release more of its own insulin and helped clear glucose. So in theory, stacking hoodia on top of your insulin could push your blood sugar down a little too far.

That means a slightly higher chance of hypoglycemia, which can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded. I want to be honest though: this is based only on lab and animal data, not real people, so it's more a caution than a proven problem. Before adding hoodia, check in with your pharmacist or doctor and keep an eye on your glucose readings.

References
  1. Zhang S, Ma Y, Li J, et al. Molecular matchmaking between the popular weight-loss herb Hoodia gordonii and GPR119, a potential drug target for metabolic disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(40):14571-6.

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

Hoodia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Hoodia has 261 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Aspart one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hoodia

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Aspart

This page covers Hoodia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Aspart page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Aspart page

“Every one of the 239 supplements listed for insulin aspart (Fiasp) touches the same thing the drug exists to manage, blood sugar, so this list warrants genuine care rather than a quick skim. Most entries add to insulin's glucose-lowering effect, raising the risk of hypoglycemia, and with a rapid-acting mealtime insulin a low can become…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Aspart interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 283 real supplement products containing Hoodia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Hoodia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Aspart too, on top of Hoodia — 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 Hoodia and Insulin Aspart 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 Hoodia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Aspart
Steady interest

#1,795 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 Hoodia

What is Hoodia?

Hoodia
  • Appetite suppression
  • Weight loss
  • Reducing food cravings
  • Traditional use for hunger and thirst on long journeys

Hoodia is a succulent plant from southern Africa that is marketed as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, but solid human evidence that it actually works is lacking. The few quality studies done have not shown meaningful weight loss, and some products on the market may not even contain real hoodia. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Read the full Hoodia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection Used For?

Brand name: Fiasp

Insulin aspart is used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in people with diabetes mellitus. It is approved for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults, and for diabetes mellitus in pediatric patients.

Insulin Aspart Protamine and Insulin Aspart Mix 70/30 is a pre-mixed product that combines a rapid-acting and an intermediate-acting insulin aspart. It is approved to improve blood sugar control in adult patients with diabetes mellitus. It is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis, and because its ratio of rapid-acting to intermediate-acting insulin is fixed, it does not allow for separate mealtime versus background dose adjustments.

See full Insulin Aspart (rDNA Origin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Hoodia

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

0Major
261Moderate
0Minor
2,568No known interaction
Moderate

261 interactions

Showing 60 of 261 moderate interactions — see all 261 on the Hoodia page.

No interaction 2,568 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 Hoodia and Insulin Aspart Together: Common Questions

Can you take Hoodia with Insulin Aspart?
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 Hoodia and Insulin Aspart 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 Insulin Aspart and Hoodia?

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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.