Drug & supplement interaction

Palm Oil + Heparin

Heparin brand name: Heparin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Palm Oil has a moderate interaction with Heparin. 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 Heparin

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Heparin

Heparin 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

Heparin is a blood thinner, so its whole job is to keep your blood from clotting too easily. The concern here is that a component of palm oil (palm olein) may make your platelets a little stickier and more likely to clump together. In theory, that could work against what heparin is doing and slightly blunt how well it protects you from clots.

I want to be honest about the strength of this: it is largely theoretical and based on limited research, not strong proof that it causes real problems in people. The small amount of palm oil used in cooking is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated palm-oil supplements are a different story, so please run those by your doctor or pharmacist before starting them while you're on heparin.

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 Heparin 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Heparin

This page covers Palm Oil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Heparin page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 183 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Heparin page

“Heparin exists to keep clots from forming, and all 202 supplements on this list touch that same clotting machinery, so treat these pairings with real care. Nearly all lean the same way, adding antiplatelet or anticoagulant activity that can push a therapeutic dose toward bruising and bleeding.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Heparin 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 Heparin 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 Heparin 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Heparin
Steady interest

#1,681 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 Heparin Injection

What Is Heparin Injection Used For?

Brand name: Heparin

Heparin Sodium Injection is used to prevent and treat venous thrombosis (blood clots in veins) and pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs). It is also used to prevent blood clots after major abdominothoracic surgery, to manage atrial fibrillation with embolization (a heart rhythm problem that can cause clots), and to treat disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a serious condition where the blood clots too much throughout the body.

Additional uses include preventing clotting during arterial and cardiac surgery, treating peripheral arterial embolism (clots in the arteries of the limbs), and serving as an anticoagulant during blood transfusions, dialysis, and procedures using extracorporeal circulation (machines that temporarily take over heart or lung function).

See full Heparin Injection 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 Heparin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Palm Oil with Heparin?
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 Heparin 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 Heparin 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.