Drug & supplement interaction

Jambolan + Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin brand names: Januvia, Zituvio.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Sitagliptin falls into 2 drug categories that Jambolan can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Animal research shows that jambolan seed and bark extracts can lower blood glucose levels.

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

Jambolan and Sitagliptin

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

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Why this applies to Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Jambolan interacts with.

Animal research shows that jambolan seed and bark extracts can lower blood glucose levels. Theoretically, jambolan might have additive effects when used with antidiabetes drugs. This might increase the risk of hypoglycemia in some patients. Monitor blood glucose levels closely.
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 simple version: both Januvia (sitagliptin) and concentrated jambolan are working toward the same goal, which is lowering your blood sugar. When you stack two blood-sugar-lowering effects together, the worry is that they push your numbers down too far. That's called hypoglycemia, and with sitagliptin it can show up as shakiness, sweating, dizziness, a fast heartbeat, or feeling confused or foggy.

I want to be honest about how strong this evidence is. The concern comes mostly from animal studies showing jambolan seed and bark extracts lower glucose, so it's more theoretical than proven in people. Eating the fruit as food is unlikely to be a problem; concentrated supplements are the bigger question. If you want to try jambolan, check your blood sugar more often and loop in your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Sharma SB, Nasir A, Prabhu KM, et al. Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effect of ethanolic extract of seeds of Eugenia jambolana in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;85:201-6. PubMed
  2. Sridhar SB, Sheetal UD, Pai MR, Shastri MS. Preclinical evaluation of the antidiabetic effect of Eugenia jambolana seed powder in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Braz J Med Biol Res 2005;38:463-8. PubMed
  3. Villasenor IM, Lamadrid MR. Comparative anti-hyperglycemic potentials of medicinal plants. J Ethnopharmacol 2006;104:129-31. PubMed
  4. Vora A, Varghese A, Kachwala Y, et al. Eugenia jambolana extract reduces the systemic exposure of Sitagliptin and improves conditions associated with diabetes: A pharmacokinetic and a pharmacodynamic herb-drug interaction study. J Tradit Complement Med. 2 PubMed
Minor

SITAGLIPTIN (Januvia)

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Animal research shows that jambolan seed extract reduces the sitagliptin maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve by 39% and 22%, respectively. However, blood glucose levels were actually reduced to a greater extent in mice taking jambolan and sitagliptin in combination when compared with either product taken alone. Theoretically, jambolan seed extract might alter the clearance of sitagliptin, although this may not alter the clinical effects of sitagliptin.
Severity Minor 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 if you take Januvia (sitagliptin) and want to try jambolan. So far the only signal we have comes from animal studies, not people. In those mice, jambolan seed extract lowered the amount of sitagliptin in the bloodstream a bit (the peak level dropped about 39%). On paper that sounds like less drug working, but interestingly, blood sugar actually dropped more when the two were combined, since jambolan itself may nudge blood sugar down.

What does that mean for you? The practical worry isn't a weaker drug, it's that the two together could push your sugar lower than expected. Keep an eye out for low blood sugar signs like shakiness, sweating, or dizziness, and loop in your pharmacist or doctor before adding a concentrated jambolan supplement.

References
  1. Vora A, Varghese A, Kachwala Y, et al. Eugenia jambolana extract reduces the systemic exposure of Sitagliptin and improves conditions associated with diabetes: A pharmacokinetic and a pharmacodynamic herb-drug interaction study. J Tradit Complement Med. 2 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

Jambolan Also Interacts With Other Medications

Jambolan has 185 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sitagliptin 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 Jambolan

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Jambolan or Sitagliptin

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

This page covers Jambolan only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sitagliptin page lists 256 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 215 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Sitagliptin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 91 real supplement products containing Jambolan, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Jambolan. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sitagliptin too, on top of Jambolan — 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 Jambolan and Sitagliptin 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 Jambolan
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sitagliptin
Top half

#866 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 Jambolan

What is Jambolan?

  • Blood sugar support
  • Digestive upset and diarrhea
  • Sore throat and mouth health
  • Antimicrobial
  • General antioxidant support

Jambolan (Syzygium cumini), also called Java plum or black plum, is a tropical fruit tree traditionally used for blood sugar and digestive complaints. Human evidence for these uses is limited and not strong, so it should not replace proven treatments like diabetes medication. The fruit is safe as food, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Jambolan monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sitagliptin

What Is Sitagliptin Used For?

Brand names: Januvia, Zituvio

Sitagliptin is used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is available as tablets (Januvia, Zituvio, and generic sitagliptin products) and as an oral solution (Brynovin), all approved for this same use.

Sitagliptin is not for type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis, so its safety in that group is unknown.

See full Sitagliptin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Jambolan

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

0Major
185Moderate
0Minor
2,644No known interaction
Moderate

185 interactions

Showing 60 of 185 moderate interactions — see all 185 on the Jambolan page.

No interaction 2,644 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 Jambolan and Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Jambolan with Sitagliptin?
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 Jambolan and Sitagliptin?
Sitagliptin belongs to more than one drug category, and Jambolan 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 Jambolan and Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin and Jambolan?

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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.