Drug & supplement interaction

Palm Oil + Clopidogrel

Clopidogrel brand name: Plavix.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Palm Oil has a moderate interaction with Clopidogrel. Theoretically, palm oil might decrease the effectiveness of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.

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

Palm Oil and Clopidogrel

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Clopidogrel

Clopidogrel falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Palm Oil interacts with.

Theoretically, palm oil might decrease the effectiveness of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.
The palm olein constituent in palm oil seems to increase platelet aggregation.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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: clopidogrel (Plavix) works by keeping your platelets from clumping together, which helps prevent clots after a stroke, heart attack, or stent placement. The concern with palm oil is that one of its components, palm olein, may nudge platelets in the opposite direction and make them a bit stickier. In theory, that could blunt some of the protection clopidogrel is meant to give you.

I want to keep this in perspective. This is mostly a theoretical worry based on limited research, and the small amount of palm oil you'd get in cooking or normal foods is very unlikely to cause trouble. If you're thinking about concentrated palm-oil supplements, though, check with your pharmacist or doctor first rather than starting them on your own.

References
  1. Sanchez-Muniz FJ, Oubina P, Rodenas S, et al. Platelet aggregation, thromboxane production and thrombogenic ratio in postmenopausal women consuming high oleic acid-sunflower oil or palmolein. Eur J Nutr 2003:42:299-306. 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

Palm Oil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Palm Oil has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Clopidogrel one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Palm Oil

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Palm Oil or Clopidogrel

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

This page covers Palm Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Clopidogrel page lists 309 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Danshen (major), Grapefruit (major), Piracetam (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 5 major · 258 moderate · 46 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Clopidogrel page

“Clopidogrel (Plavix) keeps platelets from sticking together after a stent, heart attack, or stroke, which makes this a list to take carefully. Of the 309 supplements and herbs on file, 202 carry blood-thinning or antiplatelet activity of their own and can stack bleeding risk on top of the drug's, while most of the rest change how the l…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Clopidogrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 55 real supplement products containing Palm Oil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Palm Oil. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Clopidogrel too, on top of Palm Oil — 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 Palm Oil and Clopidogrel 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 Palm Oil
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Clopidogrel
Top 1%

#22 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 Palm Oil

What is Palm Oil?

  • Cooking and food preparation
  • Source of vitamin A (red palm oil)
  • Vitamin E (tocotrienols)
  • Skin and hair care
  • General nutrition

Palm oil is a widely used edible oil pressed from the fruit of the oil palm tree, and red palm oil is a notable source of vitamin A and vitamin E compounds called tocotrienols. As a food it is generally considered safe, but it is high in saturated fat, so it should be used in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated palm-oil supplements, especially if you have heart or cholesterol concerns.

Read the full Palm Oil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Clopidogrel

What Is Clopidogrel Used For?

Brand name: Plavix

Clopidogrel tablets are used to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) — including unstable angina and non-ST-elevation or ST-elevation heart attacks — and in people with a history of recent heart attack, recent stroke, or established peripheral arterial disease. For ACS, it is typically given alongside aspirin.

It works by preventing platelets (blood cells that trigger clotting) from clumping together, which helps keep arteries open and lowers the chance of a dangerous clot forming.

See full Clopidogrel drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Palm Oil

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Palm Oil page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Palm Oil and Clopidogrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Palm Oil with Clopidogrel?
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 Palm Oil and Clopidogrel 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 Clopidogrel and Palm Oil?

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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.