Drug & supplement interaction

Indian Gooseberry + Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone brand name: Actos.

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

Indian Gooseberry has a moderate interaction with Pioglitazone. Taking Indian gooseberry with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Indian Gooseberry and Pioglitazone

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Indian Gooseberry interacts with.

Taking Indian gooseberry with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Clinical research shows that taking Indian gooseberry fruit or fruit extract alone or in conjunction with antidiabetes medications can lower blood glucose levels. Dose adjustments to diabetes medications might be necessary.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 simple version: amla (Indian gooseberry) seems to have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect on its own. Pioglitazone already works to bring your blood sugar down by making your body more sensitive to insulin. Stack the two together and you could push your numbers lower than expected, which raises the chance of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with symptoms like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or feeling foggy.

This isn't a worst-case warning. The evidence comes from lower-quality studies, so it's a real but modest concern, and a stray amla in food likely won't matter much. Concentrated amla supplements are where I'd pay closer attention. Please don't change your pioglitazone on your own. Just loop in your pharmacist or doctor, keep an eye on your readings, and they can adjust if needed.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Sabu, M. C. and Kuttan, R. Anti-diabetic activity of medicinal plants and its relationship with their antioxidant property. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002;81(2):155-160. PubMed
  2. Akhtar MS, Ramzan A, Ali A, Ahmad M. Effect of amla fruit (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) on blood glucose and lipid profile of normal subjects and type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2011;62(6):609-16.
  3. Usharani P, Fatima N, Muralidhar N. Effects of Phyllanthus emblica extract on endothelial dysfunction and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 20 PubMed
  4. Majeed M, Mundkur L, Paulose S, Nagabhushanam K. Novel Emblica officinalis extract containing ß-glucogallin vs. metformin: a randomized, open-label, comparative efficacy study in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with dyslipidemia. Food Fu

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

Indian Gooseberry Also Interacts With Other Medications

Indian Gooseberry has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Pioglitazone one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 207 No known interaction 2,623 (incl. Pioglitazone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Indian Gooseberry

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Indian Gooseberry or Pioglitazone

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

This page covers Indian Gooseberry only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pioglitazone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 309 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pioglitazone page

“Most of what appears on this pioglitazone (Actos) list shares one trait: the ingredients lower blood sugar on their own, which sounds helpful until you remember pioglitazone already does that job for people with type 2 diabetes. Stacked together, they can push glucose too low, and I would read this list with genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pioglitazone interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,248 real supplement products containing Indian Gooseberry, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Indian Gooseberry. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Pioglitazone too, on top of Indian Gooseberry — 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 Indian Gooseberry and Pioglitazone 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 Indian Gooseberry
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pioglitazone
Steady interest

#2,100 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 Indian Gooseberry

What is Indian Gooseberry?

Indian Gooseberry
  • Antioxidant support
  • Cholesterol and heart health
  • Immune support
  • Digestive health
  • Skin and hair care

Indian gooseberry (amla) is a vitamin C-rich fruit used in Ayurvedic medicine for many purposes, from antioxidant support to cholesterol and digestion. Early research is promising for some uses like cholesterol, but most claims are not yet proven by strong human studies. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking concentrated supplements.

Read the full Indian Gooseberry monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pioglitazone

What Is Pioglitazone Used For?

Brand name: Actos

Pioglitazone tablets — sold as Actos and under the generic names Pioglitazone and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride — are used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are taken along with diet and exercise, either alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as a sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin.

Pioglitazone is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes too acidic). It only works when the body is still producing some of its own insulin.

See full Pioglitazone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Indian Gooseberry

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

0Major
207Moderate
0Minor
2,622No known interaction
207 Moderate 2,622 No interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Indian Gooseberry page.

No interaction 2,622 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,622 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Indian Gooseberry list.

See the full Indian Gooseberry interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pioglitazone, 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
Indian Gooseberry monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Pioglitazone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Pioglitazone, ranked by severity Pioglitazone 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 Indian Gooseberry and Pioglitazone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Indian Gooseberry with Pioglitazone?
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 Indian Gooseberry and Pioglitazone 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 Pioglitazone and Indian Gooseberry?

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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.