Drug & supplement interaction

Sesame + Conjugated Estrogens

Conjugated Estrogens brand names: Premarin, Cenestin, Enjuvia, Premarin Vaginal Cream.

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

Sesame has a minor interaction with Conjugated Estrogens. Theoretically, sesame might alter the transport of P-glycoprotein substrates.

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

Sesame and Conjugated Estrogens

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

Minor

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Conjugated Estrogens

Conjugated Estrogens falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Sesame interacts with.

Theoretically, sesame might alter the transport of P-glycoprotein substrates.
In vitro research suggests that sesamin, a constituent of sesame, can inhibit the multi-drug transporter protein, P-glycoprotein. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

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 gist of it. A compound in sesame called sesamin has been shown, in test tube studies only, to slow down a cellular pump named P-glycoprotein. That pump helps move certain medications around your body, and conjugated estrogens (Premarin and similar) are handled in part by it. In theory, blocking the pump could let a little more estrogen stay in your system, which might mean slightly stronger estrogen effects like breast tenderness, bloating, nausea, or spotting.

That said, I want to keep this in perspective. This was never seen in actual people, only in lab dishes, so it's considered minor and largely theoretical. Normal sesame in food (tahini, sesame oil, seeds on a bun) is very unlikely to matter. If you take concentrated sesame supplements, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Okura, T., Ibe, M., Umegaki, K., Shinozuka, K., and Yamada, S. Effects of dietary ingredients on function and expression of P-glycoprotein in human intestinal epithelial cells. Biol Pharm Bull 2010;33(2):255-259. PubMed
  2. Nabekura, T., Yamaki, T., Ueno, K., and Kitagawa, S. Inhibition of P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance protein 1 by dietary phytochemicals. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2008;62(5):867-873. 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

Sesame Also Interacts With Other Medications

Sesame has 343 moderate, 184 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Conjugated Estrogens one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 343 Minor 184 No known interaction 2,303 (incl. Conjugated Estrogens)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sesame

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Conjugated Estrogens

This page covers Sesame only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Conjugated Estrogens page lists 207 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Tiratricol (major) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 172 moderate · 31 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Conjugated Estrogens page

“Conjugated estrogens (Premarin, Cenestin) are hormone replacement, most often for menopause symptoms, and the 207 supplements here warrant real care before adding any of them. Most of the risk runs through drug processing: 121 entries involve the CYP3A4 enzyme that clears estrogen, which is how St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Conjugated Estrogens interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 434 real supplement products containing Sesame, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sesame. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Conjugated Estrogens too, on top of Sesame — 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 Sesame and Conjugated Estrogens 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 Sesame
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Conjugated Estrogens
Steady interest

#1,486 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 Sesame

What is Sesame?

  • Heart and cholesterol health
  • Blood pressure support
  • Source of healthy fats and minerals
  • Skin and hair care (topical oil)
  • Antioxidant support
  • Cooking and nutrition

Sesame is a nutritious seed and oil widely used in cooking and traditional medicine, and it provides healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidant compounds called lignans. Some early research suggests sesame may modestly help with cholesterol and blood pressure, but the evidence is limited. Sesame is also a common, sometimes serious, food allergen, so people with seed allergies should be careful.

Read the full Sesame monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Sesame

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

0Major
343Moderate
184Minor
2,302No known interaction
343 Moderate 184 Minor 2,302 No interaction
Moderate

343 interactions

Showing 60 of 343 moderate interactions — see all 343 on the Sesame page.

Minor

184 interactions

Showing 60 of 184 minor interactions — see all 184 on the Sesame page.

No interaction 2,302 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,302 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Sesame list.

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

Can you take Sesame with Conjugated Estrogens?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Sesame and Conjugated Estrogens interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Conjugated Estrogens and Sesame?

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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.