Drug & supplement interaction

Japanese Apricot + Insulin

Insulin brand name: NovoRapid Insulin.

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

Japanese Apricot has a moderate interaction with Insulin. Theoretically, taking Japanese apricot in combination with antidiabetes drugs might lower blood glucose and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Japanese Apricot and Insulin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin

Insulin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Japanese Apricot interacts with.

Theoretically, taking Japanese apricot in combination with antidiabetes drugs might lower blood glucose and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Japanese apricot fruit extract has been shown to reduce levels of fasting glucose in a diabetic animal model. However, this has not been shown in humans. Until more is known, use caution.
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

Insulin already does one main job very well: it pushes your blood sugar down. The thought here is that concentrated Japanese apricot extract might give blood sugar a small nudge downward too. If both are working in the same direction, your numbers could dip lower than you expect, which could mean hypoglycemia (shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion, or feeling faint).

I want to keep this in perspective, though. This idea comes only from a diabetic animal study, not from people, so it's theoretical. Eating umeboshi or apricot in normal food amounts is unlikely to matter much. A concentrated supplement is the bigger question. Don't change your insulin dose on your own. Just check your sugars a bit more closely and run the supplement by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Shin EJ, Hur HJ, Sung MJ, et al. Ethanol extract of the Prunus mume fruits stimulates glucose uptake by regulating PPAR-γ in C2C12 myotubes and ameliorates glucose intolerance and fat accumulation in mice fed a high-fat diet. Food Chem. 2013;141(4):

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

Japanese Apricot Also Interacts With Other Medications

Japanese Apricot has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin 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. Insulin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Japanese Apricot

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin

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

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin page

“Someone injecting insulin (NovoRapid) is often the same person browsing supplements sold for blood sugar support, which is exactly why this list warrants genuine caution. Nearly all 242 entries push glucose one way or the other, most often further down, stacking with insulin and raising the risk of hypoglycemia, meaning dangerously low…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 12 real supplement products containing Japanese Apricot, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Japanese Apricot. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin too, on top of Japanese Apricot — 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 Japanese Apricot and Insulin 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 Japanese Apricot
Steady interest

#1,069 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin
Top 25%

#464 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 Japanese Apricot

What is Japanese Apricot?

  • Digestive upset
  • Fatigue and general wellness
  • Sore throat and cough
  • Antimicrobial support
  • Liver and detox support (traditional)

Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume) is a tart fruit used widely in East Asian foods and traditional medicine, often as pickled umeboshi or a concentrated extract. It has a long history of culinary and folk use, but high-quality human studies are limited, so most health claims remain unproven. The processed fruit is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Japanese Apricot monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Japanese Apricot

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Japanese Apricot — 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 Japanese Apricot page.

No interaction 2,622 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Japanese Apricot 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 Japanese Apricot list.

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

Can you take Japanese Apricot with Insulin?
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 Japanese Apricot and Insulin 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

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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.