Drug & supplement interaction

Kudzu + Insulin (Human)

Insulin (Human) brand names: Novolin N, Novolin 70/30, Novolin R, Novolin L, Afrezza.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Minor

Kudzu has a minor interaction with Insulin (Human). Theoretically, taking kudzu with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Kudzu and Insulin (Human)

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin (Human)

Insulin (Human) falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Kudzu interacts with.

Theoretically, taking kudzu with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Kudzu might lower blood glucose levels and have additive effects in patients treated with antidiabetic agents. The dose of diabetes medications might need to be adjusted.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist: insulin already lowers your blood sugar, and some lab and animal research hints that kudzu may nudge blood sugar down a little too. If both push in the same direction, there's a theoretical chance your levels could dip lower than expected, which we call hypoglycemia. With insulin, that can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

I want to be honest about the strength of this, though. The evidence here is weak (mostly test-tube and animal studies), and a real-world interaction is considered unlikely. Still, since insulin is potent and dosing is precise, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding kudzu, and keep an eye on your glucose readings if you do.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lee KT, Sohn IC, Kim DH, et al. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III in the streptozotocin-lnduced diabetic rat and their antioxidant activity in vitro. Arch Pharm Res 2000;23:461-6.
  2. Hsu FL, Liu IM, Kuo DH, et al. Antihyperglycemic effect of puerarin in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Nat Prod 2003;66:788-92. PubMed
  3. Hsu, H. H., Chang, C. K., Su, H. C., Liu, I. M., and Cheng, J. T. Stimulatory effect of puerarin on alpha1A-adrenoceptor to increase glucose uptake into cultured C2C12 cells of mice. Planta Med 2002;68(11):999-1003.
  4. Hou, Q., Ao, X., Li, G., and Zhang, Y. [Puerarin combined with avandia for diabetic nephropathy]. Zhong.Nan.Da.Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2012;37(1):73-77.

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

Kudzu Also Interacts With Other Medications

Kudzu has 514 moderate, 71 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin (Human) one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 514 Minor 71 No known interaction 2,245 (incl. Insulin (Human))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Kudzu

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Kudzu or Insulin (Human)

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Kudzu or Insulin (Human), 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 Insulin (Human)

This page covers Kudzu only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin (Human) page lists 259 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 3 major · 218 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin (Human) page

“With human insulin (Novolin, Afrezza), extra glucose lowering is not a nuisance, it is the hazard itself, and this is one of the lists I treat as genuinely serious. Nearly every ingredient here either drops blood sugar on its own or adds to insulin's effect, and the combination can push a normal dose into hypoglycemia, a dangerous low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin (Human) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 536 real supplement products containing Kudzu, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Kudzu. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin (Human) too, on top of Kudzu — 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 Kudzu and Insulin (Human) 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 Kudzu
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin (Human)
Top half

#1,066 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 Kudzu

What is Kudzu?

Kudzu
  • Alcohol cravings and reduction
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Heart and blood vessel health
  • Hangover relief
  • Traditional Chinese medicine (Ge Gen)

Kudzu is a fast-growing vine whose root has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and is now studied mostly for reducing alcohol intake. Early research is promising for cutting back on drinking, but evidence for most other uses is weak. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Kudzu monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Human Insulin Injection

What Is Human Insulin Injection Used For?

Brand names: Novolin N, Novolin 70/30, Novolin R, Novolin L, Afrezza

Novolin (human insulin injection) is used to improve glycemic control — meaning blood sugar management — in adults and children with diabetes mellitus.

Novolin 70/30 is a fixed-ratio mixture of intermediate-acting and short-acting human insulin. Because the ratio is fixed, it cannot be adjusted separately for background (basal) or mealtime (prandial) needs.

See full Human Insulin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kudzu

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

0Major
514Moderate
71Minor
2,244No known interaction
514 Moderate 71 Minor 2,244 No interaction
Moderate

514 interactions

Showing 60 of 514 moderate interactions — see all 514 on the Kudzu page.

Minor

71 interactions

Showing 60 of 71 minor interactions — see all 71 on the Kudzu page.

No interaction 2,244 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,244 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Kudzu list.

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

Can you take Kudzu with Insulin (Human)?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Kudzu and Insulin (Human) interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Insulin (Human) and Kudzu?

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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.