Drug & supplement interaction

Pomegranate + Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide

Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide brand name: CoAprovel.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide falls into 2 drug categories that Pomegranate can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking pomegranate with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Pomegranate and Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Pomegranate interacts with whole categories of medication. Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Pomegranate in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide

Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide falls under ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS — the group Pomegranate interacts with.

Theoretically, taking pomegranate with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Consuming pomegranate juice can modestly lower blood pressure.
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 simple picture: your CoAprovel combines irbesartan (which relaxes blood vessels) with hydrochlorothiazide (a water pill), and both work to bring your blood pressure down. Pomegranate, especially as juice, can modestly nudge blood pressure in the same downward direction. Stack the two together and the effects can add up a little.

For most people enjoying pomegranate as a fruit or an occasional glass of juice, this is usually mild. But if you're drinking it daily or using concentrated extracts, you might notice signs of low blood pressure like dizziness, lightheadedness when standing, or feeling unusually tired. This is theoretical and modest, not a reason to panic. If you want to use pomegranate regularly, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Aviram M, Dornfeld L. Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Atherosclerosis 2001;158:195-8. PubMed
  2. Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Gaitini D, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr 2004;23:423-33. DOI
  3. Wright, H. and Pipkin F. B. Pomegranates (Punica granatum), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) and blood pressure: a pilot study. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2008;67(8):1.
  4. Sohrab G, Sotoodeh G, Siasi F, et al. Effect of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. Iranian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2008;9:399-405, 470.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, pomegranate might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
Some animal and in vitro research shows that pomegranate juice inhibits intestinal, but not hepatic, CYP2C9 isoenzyme activity. However, clinical research shows that neither pomegranate juice nor pomegranate extract have a significant effect on CYP2C9 activity in humans.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence B

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 short version on pairing pomegranate with your CoAprovel (irbesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide): this is a very minor, mostly theoretical concern. The irbesartan part is processed by a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. Some lab and animal studies hinted that pomegranate juice might slow that enzyme in the gut, which could in theory nudge irbesartan levels up a little and slightly boost its blood-pressure-lowering effect (think lightheadedness or feeling dizzy when you stand).

But the human studies are reassuring. In actual people, neither pomegranate juice nor pomegranate extract changed CYP2C9 activity in any meaningful way. So enjoying pomegranate as a food or juice is very unlikely to cause a problem. If you plan to use concentrated extracts regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Nagata M, Hidaka M, Sekiya H, et al. Effects of pomegranate juice on human cytochrome P450 2C9 and tolbutamide pharmacokinetics in rats. Drug Metab Dispos 2007;35:302-5. PubMed
  2. Hanley MJ, Masse G, Harmatz JS, et al. Pomegranate juice and pomegranate extract do not impair oral clearance of flurbiprofen in human volunteers: divergence from in vitro results. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2012;92(5):651-7. 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

Pomegranate Also Interacts With Other Medications

Pomegranate has 354 moderate, 567 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Pomegranate

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Pomegranate or Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide

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

This page covers Pomegranate only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide page lists 273 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Asarabacca (major) and Dolomite (major).

By severity: 10 major · 226 moderate · 37 minor.

Open the Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 4,607 real supplement products containing Pomegranate, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Pomegranate. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide too, on top of Pomegranate — 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 Pomegranate and Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide 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 Pomegranate
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide
Top 10%

#203 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 Pomegranate

What is Pomegranate?

Pomegranate
  • Heart and blood vessel health
  • Antioxidant support
  • High blood pressure
  • Inflammation
  • Digestive upset
  • Skin health

Pomegranate is a nutrient-rich fruit that is high in antioxidants and is widely enjoyed as food and juice. Early research suggests it may support heart health and blood pressure, but the evidence is still limited and not strong enough to call it a proven treatment. As a food it is generally safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take medications.

Read the full Pomegranate monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Pomegranate

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

0Major
354Moderate
567Minor
1,908No known interaction
Moderate

354 interactions

Showing 60 of 354 moderate interactions — see all 354 on the Pomegranate page.

Minor

567 interactions

Showing 60 of 567 minor interactions — see all 567 on the Pomegranate page.

No interaction 1,908 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 Pomegranate and Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Pomegranate with Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Pomegranate and Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide?
Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to more than one drug category, and Pomegranate interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Pomegranate and Irbesartan, Hydrochlorothiazide 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

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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.