Drug & supplement interaction

Olive Oil + Metformin

Metformin brand names: Glucophage, Metformin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Olive Oil and Metformin 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Olive Oil and Metformin

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 Metformin and Olive Oil 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.

Olive Oil safety at a glance

Olive Oil overall Generally safe Olive oil is widely consumed as food and is generally safe in normal dietary amounts.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When olive oil is consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of olive oil when used in l... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When olive oil is consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of olive oil when used in l... 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 Metformin and Olive Oil? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Metformin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Metformin is filed under 5 classifications — including organic cation transporter 2 (oct2) substrates, antidiabetes drugs, oral drugs. Olive Oil has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antihypertensive drugs (moderate) — and none of Metformin’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

Olive Oil Does Interact With Other Medications

Olive Oil has 172 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Metformin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 172 No known interaction 2,658 (incl. Metformin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Olive Oil

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Olive Oil and Metformin 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.

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Olive Oil

    “Topically, delayed hypersensitivity and contact dermatitis have been reported after using olive oil.”

    Olive Oil · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    2 sources cited
    1. 289. van Joost T, Smitt JH, van Ketel WG. Sensitization to olive oil (olea europeae). Contact Dermatitis 1981;7:309-10. PubMed
    2. 3275. Isaksson M, Bruze M. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from olive oil in a masseur. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:312-5. PubMed

    Metformin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Metformin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea Additional detail

    Olive Oil

    Recorded for Olive Oil in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A skin rash above.

    Metformin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Metformin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Olive Oil but not commonly for Metformin: an allergic reaction.

Effects for Metformin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Olive Oil come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Olive Oil in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When olive oil is consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of olive oil when used in larger amounts.

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

Overlapping uses

What Metformin Is Prescribed For, and What Olive Oil Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Metformin is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Olive Oil is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Metformin is prescribed for: Metformin is used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is always used together with diet and exercise, not instead of them. Metformin hydrochloride tablets and oral solution are approved for adults and children 10 years and older. Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets — including brands such as Fortamet, Glumetza, and Metformin Hydrochloride Extended Release — are approved for adults only.

Olive Oil has been studied for:

  • Diabetes Natural Medicines rates the evidence for Olive Oil: Possibly Effective Read what the research shows

    Olive Oil for diabetes

    Increased consumption of olive oil in the diet seems to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Olive oil also seems to improve glycemic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes.

  • Stroke studied, not established Olive Oil has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Olive Oil for stroke

    Oral olive oil has only been evaluated in combination with the Mediterranean diet; its effect when used alone is unclear.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Metformin on your own; if you are taking Olive Oil for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Olive Oil or Metformin

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

This page covers Olive Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Metformin page lists 258 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 · 217 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Metformin page

“Siberian cocklebur is the ingredient I most want anyone taking metformin (Glucophage) to know about. It has caused severe low blood sugar in people, documented in humans, and it should not be combined with any glucose-lowering medication.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Metformin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 316 real supplement products containing Olive Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Olive Oil. Even though Olive Oil itself has no known interaction with Metformin, 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 Olive Oil and Metformin 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 Olive Oil
Steady interest

#1,127 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Metformin
Top 1%

#29 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 Olive Oil reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Olive Oil and Metformin 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 .
Supplement

About Olive Oil

What is Olive Oil?

Olive Oil
  • Heart health
  • Cholesterol support
  • General nutrition (Mediterranean diet)
  • Skin and hair care
  • Mild constipation
  • Anti-inflammatory support

Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, is a healthy fat that forms a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and is linked with better heart health. Used as part of a balanced diet it is generally safe for most people, but it is calorie-dense, so portion size matters. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Olea europaea · Oleaceae · Oil pressed from the fruit (olives) · Culinary oil (extra virgin, virgin, refined), softgels, capsules, topical oil

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

Olive Oil: dosing

There is no official "dose" of olive oil. In diet studies, people often use a few tablespoons per day as part of their cooking and meals. As a food, the right amount depends on your overall calorie needs.For supplement capsules, there is no proven standardized dose, so follow the product label and do not exceed it. Choosing extra virgin olive oil gives you the most natural plant compounds.

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

Read the full Olive Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Metformin

What Is Metformin Used For?

Brand names: Glucophage, Metformin

Metformin is used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is always used together with diet and exercise, not instead of them.

Metformin hydrochloride tablets and oral solution are approved for adults and children 10 years and older. Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets — including brands such as Fortamet, Glumetza, and Metformin Hydrochloride Extended Release — are approved for adults only.

See full Metformin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Olive Oil

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

0Major
172Moderate
0Minor
2,657No known interaction
172 Moderate 2,657 No interaction
Moderate

172 interactions

Showing 60 of 172 moderate interactions — see all 172 on the Olive Oil page.

No interaction 2,657 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,657 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Olive Oil list.

See the full Olive Oil interactions page
See every supplement checked against Metformin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Olive Oil References

The 5 references that drive our Olive Oil 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.

  1. van Joost T, Smitt JH, van Ketel WG. Sensitization to olive oil (olea europeae). Contact Dermatitis 1981;7:309-10. PubMed
  2. Trevisan M, Krogh V, Freudenheim J, et al. Consumption of olive oil, butter, and vegetable oils and coronary heart disease risk factors. The Research Group ATS-RF2 of the Italian National Research Council. JAMA 1990;263:688-92. DOI
  3. Keys A, Menotti A, Karvonen MJ , et al. The diet and 15-year death rate in the seven countries study. Am J Epidemiol 1986;124:903-15. PubMed
  4. Isaksson M, Bruze M. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from olive oil in a masseur. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:312-5. PubMed
  5. Ferrara LA, Raimondi AS, d'Episcopo L, et al. Olive oil and reduced need for antihypertensive medications. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:837-42. 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 Olive Oil and Metformin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Olive Oil with Metformin?
We do not list a known interaction between Olive Oil and Metformin. 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 Olive Oil and Metformin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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.
Are Olive Oil and Metformin used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Olive Oil in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Metformin is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Olive Oil and Metformin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Metformin is filed under 5 classifications, and Olive Oil has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Metformin'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 Olive Oil interact with any other medications?
Yes. Olive Oil has 172 documented drug interactions in our database — Metformin 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 Metformin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Metformin has documented interactions with 258 supplements in our database — Olive Oil is not one of them. The Metformin 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

Olive Oil monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Metformin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Metformin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Metformin, 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Metformin and Olive Oil?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.