Drug & supplement interaction

Papaya + Insulin (Human)

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

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Papaya has a moderate interaction with Insulin (Human). Concomitant use of antidiabetic drugs with fermented papaya can produce additive effects.

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

Papaya and Insulin (Human)

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin (Human)

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

Concomitant use of antidiabetic drugs with fermented papaya can produce additive effects. It is unclear if other forms of papaya have the same effect.
A small low-quality clinical study in patients with type 2 diabetes who are taking glibenclamide shows that taking a fermented papaya preparation 3 grams daily for 2 months decreases fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels when compared to baseline. Additionally, of the 25 patients in the study, 9 required a reduction in glibenclamide dose.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

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

Here's the gist: papaya, especially the fermented kind used as a supplement, may have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect of its own. Insulin already pushes your sugar down, so stacking the two together could nudge your glucose lower than expected. In one small, lower-quality study, some people on a diabetes pill actually needed less of their medication after taking fermented papaya for a couple of months.

With insulin, the practical worry is low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion, or a racing heart. Eating papaya as a normal piece of fruit is unlikely to cause trouble, but concentrated or fermented papaya supplements are a different story. Don't change your insulin dose on your own. Just check your sugars and chat with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Danese, C., Esposito, D., D'Alfonso, V., Cirene, M., Ambrosino, M., and Colotto, M. Plasma glucose level decreases as collateral effect of fermented papaya preparation use. Clin Ter. 2006;157(3):195-198.

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

Papaya Also Interacts With Other Medications

Papaya has 91 moderate 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 91 No known interaction 2,739 (incl. Insulin (Human))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Papaya

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin (Human)

This page covers Papaya 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 Papaya as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,801 real supplement products containing Papaya, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Papaya. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin (Human) too, on top of Papaya — 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 Papaya 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 Papaya
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin (Human)
Top 10%

#213 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 Papaya

What is Papaya?

Papaya
  • Digestive upset and indigestion
  • Constipation
  • Wound and skin care (topical)
  • Intestinal parasites (traditional)
  • Supporting platelet counts in dengue (investigational)

Papaya is a tropical fruit that is nutritious and generally safe to eat as food, and it contains an enzyme called papain used as a digestive aid and meat tenderizer. Papaya leaf extract is being studied for raising platelet counts in dengue fever, but most other supplement uses have limited human evidence. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated papaya supplements, and avoid unripe (green) papaya and papaya seed products in pregnancy.

Read the full Papaya 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 & Papaya

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

0Major
91Moderate
0Minor
2,738No known interaction
91 Moderate 2,738 No interaction
Moderate

91 interactions

Showing 60 of 91 moderate interactions — see all 91 on the Papaya page.

No interaction 2,738 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,738 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Papaya list.

See the full Papaya 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
Papaya 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 Papaya and Insulin (Human) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Papaya with Insulin (Human)?
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 Papaya and Insulin (Human) 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 Insulin (Human) and Papaya?

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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.