Drug & supplement interaction

Ribose + 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

Insulin (Human) falls into 2 drug categories that Ribose can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking ribose in combination with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Ribose and Insulin (Human)

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Insulin (Human)

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

Theoretically, taking ribose in combination with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
In clinical research, ribose decreases serum glucose levels in a dose-dependent manner.
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 thing to know if you're using insulin and thinking about ribose. Insulin already does the heavy lifting of pulling sugar out of your blood. Ribose, as it turns out, can also nudge your blood sugar downward on its own, and studies show it does this more strongly at higher doses. Stack the two together and you could push your glucose lower than you intended.

That means the real concern here is low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded. This isn't a wild theory, it's based on decent human research, though it can vary person to person. I wouldn't change your insulin on your own. Instead, loop in your pharmacist or doctor first, and if you do start ribose, check your sugars a bit more closely at the beginning.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Burke ER. D-Ribose What You Need To Know. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group 1999;1-43.
  2. Thompson J, Neutel J, Homer K, Tempero K, Shah A, Khankari R. Evaluation of D-ribose pharmacokinetics, dose proportionality, food effect, and pharmacodynamics after oral solution administration in healthy male and female subjects. J Clin Pharmacol 2014;54 PubMed
Moderate

INSULIN

2 of 2
Theoretically, taking ribose with insulin could increase the hypoglycemic effect of insulin.
In clinical pharmacokinetic studies, oral administration of ribose modestly increased serum insulin levels.
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 practical picture if you use human insulin (like Novolin) and you're thinking about ribose. Insulin's whole job is to pull sugar out of your blood, and small studies suggest ribose can nudge your own insulin levels up a bit while it may also lower blood sugar on its own. Stack that on top of your injected insulin and the two effects could add together, pushing your blood sugar lower than you intended.

That means a higher chance of hypoglycemia: shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded. This is mostly theoretical and based on modest changes, so don't panic, but do check your sugars closely and talk with your pharmacist or doctor before adding ribose so they can guide any dosing decisions.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Burke ER. D-Ribose What You Need To Know. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group 1999;1-43.
  2. Thompson J, Neutel J, Homer K, Tempero K, Shah A, Khankari R. Evaluation of D-ribose pharmacokinetics, dose proportionality, food effect, and pharmacodynamics after oral solution administration in healthy male and female subjects. J Clin Pharmacol 2014;54 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

Ribose Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ribose has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin (Human) one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 85 No known interaction 2,745 (incl. Insulin (Human))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ribose

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin (Human)

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

We hold 543 real supplement products containing Ribose, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ribose. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin (Human) too, on top of Ribose — 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 Ribose 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 Ribose
Top half

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

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

#192 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 Ribose

What is Ribose?

  • Energy and fatigue
  • Athletic performance and recovery
  • Fibromyalgia symptoms
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Heart-related (cardiac) conditions

Ribose (D-ribose) is a simple sugar your body makes naturally and uses to build energy molecules like ATP. Some people take it for fatigue, fibromyalgia, exercise recovery, or heart conditions, but solid human evidence is limited and mostly small or preliminary. It is generally well tolerated in short-term use, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you have diabetes.

Read the full Ribose 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 & Ribose

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

0Major
85Moderate
0Minor
2,744No known interaction
85 Moderate 2,744 No interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Ribose page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,744 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ribose list.

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

Can you take Ribose 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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Ribose and Insulin (Human)?
Insulin (Human) belongs to more than one drug category, and Ribose 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 Ribose 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 Ribose?

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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.