Drug & supplement interaction

Salacia + Acarbose

Acarbose brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay.

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

Salacia has a moderate interaction with Acarbose. Salacia might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Salacia and Acarbose

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Acarbose

Acarbose falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Salacia interacts with.

Salacia might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Clinical research suggests that salacia might lower blood glucose levels.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

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 something interesting about pairing Salacia with acarbose: they actually work in almost the same way. Acarbose slows down a gut enzyme called alpha-glucosidase so carbs break down more slowly and your blood sugar doesn't spike as much after meals. Salacia appears to block that very same enzyme. So taking both is like doubling up on the same job, which could lower your blood sugar more than either one alone.

In practice, that means a higher chance of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), with shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or feeling confused. You may also notice more gas, bloating, or loose stools, since both slow carb digestion. This concern is based mostly on how the two work rather than hard studies, but it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Jayawardena MH, de Alwis NM, Hettigoda V, Fernando DJ. A double blind randomised placebo controlled cross over study of a herbal preparation containing Salacia reticulata in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;97:215-8. PubMed
  2. Williams JA, Choe YS, Noss MJ, et al. Extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86:124-30. PubMed
  3. Kajimoto O, Kawamori S, Shimoda H, et al. Effects of a Diet Containing Salacia reticulata on Mild Type 2 Diabetes in Humans. A Placebo-controlled, Cross-over Trial. Nippon Eiyo Shokuryo Gakkaishi 2000;53(5):199-205. DOI

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

Salacia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Salacia has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acarbose one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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

Check Another of Your Medications Against Salacia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Salacia or Acarbose

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

This page covers Salacia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acarbose page lists 281 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Acai (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 240 moderate · 37 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acarbose page

“Acarbose (Precose, Glucobay) is taken with meals to blunt the blood sugar rise after eating, and its supplement list calls for genuine care, starting with the four major-rated entries: heavy alcohol and the herb Siberian cocklebur can strain the liver alongside acarbose, while activated charcoal can soak up oral drugs and cut what reac…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acarbose interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 34 real supplement products containing Salacia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Salacia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acarbose too, on top of Salacia — 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 Salacia and Acarbose 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 Salacia
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acarbose
Steady interest

#1,590 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 Salacia

What is Salacia?

Salacia
  • Blood sugar control
  • Type 2 diabetes support
  • Weight management
  • Obesity
  • Traditional Ayurvedic remedy

Salacia is a plant used in Ayurvedic medicine, mostly studied for lowering blood sugar after meals. Some small human studies suggest it may modestly blunt blood sugar spikes, but the evidence is limited and far from conclusive. If you have diabetes or take other medicines, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Read the full Salacia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acarbose

What Is Acarbose Used For?

Brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay

Acarbose tablets are used to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are always used together with a proper diet and regular exercise — not as a replacement for them.

Acarbose can be used on its own or combined with other diabetes medicines such as sulfonylureas, insulin, or metformin to get better blood sugar control.

See full Acarbose drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Salacia

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Salacia — 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 Salacia page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Salacia 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 Salacia list.

See the full Salacia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acarbose, 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
Salacia monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acarbose supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acarbose, ranked by severity Acarbose 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 Salacia and Acarbose Together: Common Questions

Can you take Salacia with Acarbose?
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 Salacia and Acarbose 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 Acarbose and Salacia?

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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.