Drug & supplement interaction

Spearmint + Acebutolol

Acebutolol brand names: Sectral, Rhotral.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Spearmint has a moderate interaction with Acebutolol. Theoretically, high doses of spearmint might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.

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

Spearmint and Acebutolol

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

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Acebutolol

Acebutolol falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Spearmint interacts with.

Theoretically, high doses of spearmint might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.
Animal research suggests that drinking spearmint tea for 30 days can increase markers of liver damage, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and cause liver degeneration and necrosis, in a dose-dependent manner. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate 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 for spearmint and your acebutolol (Sectral). This isn't about spearmint changing how your beta blocker works or how strong it gets. Instead, the concern is that very high doses of spearmint might add a little extra stress on the liver, and acebutolol is one of many medicines that can occasionally affect the liver too.

I'll be honest with you though: this worry comes only from animal studies where rodents drank concentrated spearmint for a month. It has never been reported in people, and a cup of spearmint tea or some in your food is very unlikely to matter. If you take a strong, standardized spearmint supplement regularly, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor so they can keep an eye on things.

References
  1. Akdogan M, Ozguner M, Aydin G, Gokalp O. Investigation of biochemical and histopathological effects of Mentha piperita Labiatae and Mentha spicata Labiatae on liver tissue in rats. Hum Exp Toxicol 2004;23:21-8.

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

Spearmint Also Interacts With Other Medications

Spearmint has 578 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acebutolol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Spearmint

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acebutolol

This page covers Spearmint only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acebutolol page lists 173 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), Beer (major) and Indian Snakeroot (major).

By severity: 8 major · 143 moderate · 22 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acebutolol page

“Acebutolol (Sectral) lowers blood pressure and slows the heart, so the eight major-rated interactions on this list of 173 supplements deserve real attention. Most of the entries, well over a hundred, either stack on its blood-pressure-lowering effect and drop you too low, or push the other way and let your pressure climb back up.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acebutolol interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 408 real supplement products containing Spearmint, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Spearmint. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acebutolol too, on top of Spearmint — 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 Spearmint and Acebutolol 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 Spearmint
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acebutolol
Steady interest

#1,679 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 Spearmint

What is Spearmint?

Spearmint
  • Digestive upset and indigestion
  • Nausea
  • Hormonal acne and unwanted hair (PCOS-related)
  • Memory and focus
  • Mild stress and anxiety
  • Joint discomfort

Spearmint is a common culinary mint that is generally safe in food and tea amounts. Early research suggests possible benefits for digestion, mild hormone-related issues (such as excess facial hair in women), and memory, but the evidence is still limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially if you are pregnant or have a health condition.

Read the full Spearmint monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acebutolol

What Is Acebutolol Used For?

Brand names: Sectral, Rhotral

Acebutolol Hydrochloride capsules are used to manage high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults. They can be used on their own or alongside other blood pressure medications, particularly thiazide-type diuretics.

They are also used to treat ventricular premature beats — extra, out-of-rhythm heartbeats that originate in the lower chambers of the heart. Acebutolol reduces how often these abnormal beats occur, including complex patterns that can be more concerning.

See full Acebutolol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Spearmint

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

0Major
578Moderate
0Minor
2,251No known interaction
Moderate

578 interactions

Showing 60 of 578 moderate interactions — see all 578 on the Spearmint page.

No interaction 2,251 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 Spearmint and Acebutolol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Spearmint with Acebutolol?
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 Spearmint and Acebutolol 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 Acebutolol and Spearmint?

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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.