Drug & supplement interaction

Juniper + Acarbose

Acarbose brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay.

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

Juniper has a moderate interaction with Acarbose. Theoretically, taking juniper berry with antidiabetes medications might cause additive hypoglycemia.

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

Juniper and Acarbose

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Acarbose

Acarbose falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Juniper interacts with.

Theoretically, taking juniper berry with antidiabetes medications might cause additive hypoglycemia.
Animal research shows that juniper berry can lower blood glucose.
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 gist: in animal studies, juniper berry seemed to nudge blood sugar down a bit. Acarbose (Precose) already works to lower your post-meal blood sugar by slowing how your body digests carbohydrates. So the worry is that stacking the two together could add up and push your sugar lower than you'd like.

I'll be honest with you though, this is a theoretical concern based on lab and animal work, not solid human studies, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The gin-and-tonic level of juniper is very different from a concentrated supplement. If you do take juniper regularly, just keep an eye out for low-sugar signs like shakiness, sweating, or dizziness, and run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. Sanchez de Medina F, Gamez MJ, Jimenez I, et al. Hypoglycemic activity of juniper "berries." Planta Med 1994;60:197-200. PubMed
  3. Swanston-Flatt SK, Day C, Bailey CJ, Flatt PR. Traditional plant treatments for diabetes. Studies in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice. Diabetologia 1990;33:462-4. 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

Juniper Also Interacts With Other Medications

Juniper has 85 moderate, 76 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Acarbose one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 85 Minor 76 No known interaction 2,669 (incl. Acarbose)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Juniper

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Juniper or Acarbose

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

This page covers Juniper only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acarbose page lists 281 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Acai (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 240 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acarbose page

“Acarbose (Precose, Glucobay) is taken with meals to blunt the blood sugar rise after eating, and its supplement list calls for genuine care, starting with the four major-rated entries: heavy alcohol and the herb Siberian cocklebur can strain the liver alongside acarbose, while activated charcoal can soak up oral drugs and cut what reac…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acarbose interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,100 real supplement products containing Juniper, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Juniper. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acarbose too, on top of Juniper — 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 Juniper and Acarbose 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 Juniper
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acarbose
Steady interest

#1,608 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 Juniper

What is Juniper?

  • Water retention (diuretic)
  • Digestive upset and bloating
  • Urinary tract support
  • Joint and muscle discomfort
  • Flavoring (gin and food)

Juniper berry is a traditional herb best known for flavoring gin and for its folk use as a diuretic and digestive aid. Solid human evidence for its health benefits is limited, and it can irritate the kidneys with high doses or long-term use. Pregnant people and those with kidney problems should avoid it, and everyone should check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Juniper monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acarbose

What Is Acarbose Used For?

Brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay

Acarbose tablets are used to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are always used together with a proper diet and regular exercise — not as a replacement for them.

Acarbose can be used on its own or combined with other diabetes medicines such as sulfonylureas, insulin, or metformin to get better blood sugar control.

See full Acarbose drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Juniper

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

0Major
85Moderate
76Minor
2,668No known interaction
85 Moderate 76 Minor 2,668 No interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Juniper page.

Minor

76 interactions

Showing 60 of 76 minor interactions — see all 76 on the Juniper page.

No interaction 2,668 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,668 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Juniper list.

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

Can you take Juniper with Acarbose?
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 Juniper and Acarbose 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 Acarbose and Juniper?

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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.