Drug & supplement interaction

Kiwi + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Kiwi and Gemcitabine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Kiwi and Gemcitabine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Gemcitabine and Kiwi in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Kiwi safety at a glance

Kiwi overall Generally safe Kiwi is safe for most people when eaten as a normal food.

Pregnancy Likely Safe When used in food amounts. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of kiwi when used orally in medicinal amounts; avoid use. Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used in food amounts. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of kiwi when used orally in medicinal amounts; avoid use. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Gemcitabine and Kiwi? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Gemcitabine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications — antineoplastics, hepatotoxic drugs. Kiwi has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and antihypertensive drugs (moderate) — and none of Gemcitabine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Kiwi Does Interact With Other Medications

Kiwi has 289 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 289 No known interaction 2,541 (incl. Gemcitabine)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Kiwi

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Kiwi and Gemcitabine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail
Kiwi
“Orally, kiwi fruit is generally well tolerated. Eating kiwi fruit or drinking the juice can lead to hypersensitivity reactions of the lips, mouth, tongue, and throat, including dysphagia, urticaria, dermatitis, angioedema, and vomiting immediately following ingestion in some patients (6,963,57465,57496,57491,57497,57635,57636,109591).”

Kiwi · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
6 sources cited

6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

963. Diez-Gomez ML, Quirce S, Aragoneses E, Cuevas M. Asthma caused by Ficus benjamina latex: evidence of cross-reactivity with fig fruit and papain. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1998;80:24-30.

57465. Ishida, T., Murai, K., Yasuda, T., Satou, T., Sejima, T., and Kitamura, K. [Oral allergy syndrome in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis]. Nippon Jibiinkoka Gakkai Kaiho 2000;103(3):199-205. PubMed

57496. Lucas, J. S., Grimshaw, K. E., Collins, K., Warner, J. O., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit is a significant allergen and is associated with differing patterns of reactivity in children and adults. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(7):1115-1121. PubMed

57491. Lucas, J. S., Lewis, S. A., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit allergy: a review. Pediatr.Allergy Immunol. 2003;14(6):420-428. PubMed

57497. Hemmer, W., Focke, M., Gotz, M., and Jarisch, R. Sensitization to Ficus benjamina: relationship to natural rubber latex allergy and identification of foods implicated in the Ficus-fruit syndrome. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(8):1251-1258.
“Eating kiwi fruit or drinking the juice can lead to hypersensitivity reactions of the lips, mouth, tongue, and throat, including dysphagia, urticaria, dermatitis, angioedema, and vomiting immediately following ingestion in some patients (6,963,57465,57496,57491,57497,57635,57636,109591,109592). Other reported symptoms of kiwi allergy include nausea, diarrhea, and acute pancreatitis.”

Kiwi · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
6 sources cited

6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

963. Diez-Gomez ML, Quirce S, Aragoneses E, Cuevas M. Asthma caused by Ficus benjamina latex: evidence of cross-reactivity with fig fruit and papain. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1998;80:24-30.

57465. Ishida, T., Murai, K., Yasuda, T., Satou, T., Sejima, T., and Kitamura, K. [Oral allergy syndrome in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis]. Nippon Jibiinkoka Gakkai Kaiho 2000;103(3):199-205. PubMed

57496. Lucas, J. S., Grimshaw, K. E., Collins, K., Warner, J. O., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit is a significant allergen and is associated with differing patterns of reactivity in children and adults. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(7):1115-1121. PubMed

57491. Lucas, J. S., Lewis, S. A., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit allergy: a review. Pediatr.Allergy Immunol. 2003;14(6):420-428. PubMed

57497. Hemmer, W., Focke, M., Gotz, M., and Jarisch, R. Sensitization to Ficus benjamina: relationship to natural rubber latex allergy and identification of foods implicated in the Ficus-fruit syndrome. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(8):1251-1258.
Gemcitabine

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gemcitabine. Read the label on DailyMed ›
A skin rash / Nausea / Vomiting reported in 4.9% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine Additional detail

Kiwi

Recorded for Kiwi in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

Gemcitabine

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gemcitabine, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Kiwi but not commonly for Gemcitabine: a severe allergic reaction, pancreatitis, trouble swallowing and hives.

Effects for Gemcitabine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Kiwi come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 53,020 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gemcitabine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Kiwi in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used in food amounts. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of kiwi when used orally in medicinal amounts; avoid use.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gemcitabine

This page covers Kiwi only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 361 real supplement products containing Kiwi, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Kiwi. Even though Kiwi itself has no known interaction with Gemcitabine, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Kiwi and Gemcitabine 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 Kiwi

Top half

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

29 days ago today

Medication Gemcitabine

Steady interest

#2,103 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.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Kiwi reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Kiwi and Gemcitabine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Kiwi

What is Kiwi?

Constipation and digestive health
Vitamin C and antioxidant support
Sleep support
Immune support
Heart and cholesterol health

Kiwi is a nutritious fruit that is rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, and it is generally safe to eat as a food. The strongest evidence is for helping with constipation and overall digestive regularity, while other uses like better sleep or immune support are far less proven. People with a known kiwi or latex allergy should avoid it.

Actinidia deliciosa · Actinidiaceae · Fruit (and seeds) · Fresh fruit, dried fruit, juice, extracts, capsules, powders

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Kiwi is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Kiwi record says about it on its own.

Kiwi: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of kiwi for any health condition. In studies on digestion and sleep, people often ate about one to two kiwifruit per day, but this is not a formal medical recommendation.For kiwi supplements, juices, or powders, follow the directions on the product label, since the amount of active ingredients varies widely between products. Simply enjoying kiwi as a fruit is a safe and easy way to get its nutrients.

From our Kiwi monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Kiwi monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug).

It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gemcitabine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (53,020 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 4,850 reports

Thrombocytopenia 3,706 reports

Neutropenia 3,295 reports

Anemia 3,084 reports

Malignant neoplasm progression 2,912 reports

See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kiwi

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

0Major

289Moderate

0Minor

2,540No known interaction

289 Moderate 2,540 No interaction

Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Kiwi page.

No interaction 2,540 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,540 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Kiwi list.

See the full Kiwi interactions page

See every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Kiwi References

The 32 references that drive our Kiwi monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Diez-Gomez ML, Quirce S, Aragoneses E, Cuevas M. Asthma caused by Ficus benjamina latex: evidence of cross-reactivity with fig fruit and papain. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1998;80:24-30.
Forastiere F, Pistelli R, Sestini P, et al. Consumption of fresh fruit rich in vitamin C and wheezing symptoms in children. Thorax 2000;55:283-8. DOI
Carey IM, Strachan DP, Cook DG. Effects of changes in fresh fruit consumption on ventilatory function in healthy British adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998;158:728-33. PubMed
Schwartz J, Weiss ST. Relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and pulmonary function in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I). Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:110-4. PubMed
Butland BK, Fehily AM, Elwood PC. Diet, lung function, and lung function decline in a cohort of 2512 middle aged men. Thorax 2000;55:102-8. PubMed
Troisi RJ, Willett WC, Weiss ST, et al. A prospective study of diet and adult-onset asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1995;151:1401-8. PubMed
Blanco C, Diaz-Perales A, Collada C, et al. Class I chitinases as potential panallergens involved in the latex-fruit syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103(3 Pt 1):507-13. PubMed
Diaz-Perales A, Collada C, Blanco C, et al. Cross-reactions in the latex-fruit syndrome: A relevant role of chitinases but not of complex asparagine-linked glycans. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:681-7. PubMed
Rance, F. and Dutau, G. Labial food challenge in children with food allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1997;8(1):41-44. PubMed
Kim, K. T. and Hussain, H. Prevalence of food allergy in 137 latex-allergic patients. Allergy Asthma Proc 1999;20(2):95-97. PubMed
Ishida, T., Murai, K., Yasuda, T., Satou, T., Sejima, T., and Kitamura, K. [Oral allergy syndrome in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis]. Nippon Jibiinkoka Gakkai Kaiho 2000;103(3):199-205. PubMed
Lucas, J. S., Lewis, S. A., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit allergy: a review. Pediatr.Allergy Immunol. 2003;14(6):420-428. PubMed
Eriksson, N. E., Moller, C., Werner, S., Magnusson, J., Bengtsson, U., and Zolubas, M. Self-reported food hypersensitivity in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia. J Investig.Allergol.Clin Immunol. 2004;14(1):70-79.
Lucas, J. S., Grimshaw, K. E., Collins, K., Warner, J. O., and Hourihane, J. O. Kiwi fruit is a significant allergen and is associated with differing patterns of reactivity in children and adults. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(7):1115-1121. PubMed
Hemmer, W., Focke, M., Gotz, M., and Jarisch, R. Sensitization to Ficus benjamina: relationship to natural rubber latex allergy and identification of foods implicated in the Ficus-fruit syndrome. Clin.Exp.Allergy 2004;34(8):1251-1258.
Duttaroy, A. K. and Jorgensen, A. Effects of kiwi fruit consumption on platelet aggregation and plasma lipids in healthy human volunteers. Platelets. 2004;15(5):287-292. PubMed
Chan, A. O., Leung, G., Tong, T., and Wong, N. Y. Increasing dietary fiber intake in terms of kiwifruit improves constipation in Chinese patients. World J Gastroenterol. 9-21-2007;13(35):4771-4775. PubMed
Chang, C. C., Lin, Y. T., Lu, Y. T., Liu, Y. S., and Liu, J. F. Kiwifruit improves bowel function in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Asia Pac.J Clin.Nutr. 2010;19(4):451-457.
Brevik, A., Gaivao, I., Medin, T., Jorgenesen, A., Piasek, A., Elilasson, J., Karlsen, A., Blomhoff, R., Veggan, T., Duttaroy, A. K., and Collins, A. R. Supplementation of a western diet with golden kiwifruits (Actinidia chinensis var.'Hort 16A':) effect
Veraldi, S. and Schianchi-Veraldi, R. Contact urticaria from kiwi fruit. Contact Dermatitis 1990;22(4):244. PubMed
Garcia, B. E., de la Cuesta, C. G., Santos, F., Feliu, X., and Cordoba, H. A rare case of food allergy: monosensitivity to kiwi (Actinidia chinensis). Allergol.Immunopathol.(Madr.) 1989;17(4):217-218.
Falliers, C. J. Anaphylaxis to Kiwi fruit and related "exoti"" items. J.Asthma 1983;20(3):193-196.
Shimizu, T. and Morikawa, A. Anaphylaxis to kiwi fruit in a 12-year-old boy. J.Asthma 1995;32(2):159-160. PubMed
Novembre, E., Bernardini, R., Bertini, G., Massai, G., and Vierucci, A. Skin-prick-test-induced anaphylaxis. Allergy 1995;50(6):511-513. PubMed
Castillo, R., Delgado, J., Quiralte, J., Blanco, C., and Carrillo, T. Food hypersensitivity among adult patients: epidemiological and clinical aspects. Allergol.Immunopathol.(Madr.) 1996;24(3):93-97.
Rademaker, M. Allergic contact dermatitis from kiwi fruit vine (actinidia chinensis). Contact Dermatitis 1996;34(3):221-222. PubMed
Gastaminza, G., Bernaola, G., and Camino, M. E. Acute pancreatitis caused by allergy to kiwi fruit. Allergy 1998;53(11):1104-1105. PubMed
Svendsen, M., Klemsdal, T. O., Heggen, E., Holme, I., Pedersen, T. R., Seljeflot, I., Blomhoff, R., and Tonstad, S. Effect of Dietary Intake of Kiwi Fruit on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure (Abstract 16175). Circulation 2011;
Eady SL, Wallace AJ, Hedderley DI, Bentley-Hewitt KL, Butts CA. The effects on immune function and digestive health of consuming the skin and flesh of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit (Actinidia Chinensis var. Chinensis 'Zesy002') in healthy and IBS-constipated i
Gabrielli S, Clarke AE, Morris J, et al. Fruit-induced anaphylaxis: clinical presentation and management. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021;9(7):2825-30. PubMed
Ukleja-Sokolowska N, Zacniewski R, Lis K, Zbikowska-Gotz M, Kuzminski A, Bartuzi Z. Exercise induced anaphylaxis in kiwi allergic patient: case report. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol 2021;17(1):91. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Kiwi and Gemcitabine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Kiwi with Gemcitabine?

We do not list a known interaction between Kiwi and Gemcitabine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

Do Kiwi and Gemcitabine have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.

How was the Kiwi and Gemcitabine combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications, and Kiwi has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Gemcitabine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Kiwi interact with any other medications?

Yes. Kiwi has 289 documented drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Gemcitabine interact with any supplements?

Yes. Gemcitabine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Kiwi is not one of them. The Gemcitabine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Kiwi monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Gemcitabine Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Gemcitabine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, 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 References The 32 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Gemcitabine and Kiwi?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.