Drug & supplement interaction

Stevia + Acarbose

Acarbose brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay.

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

Stevia has a minor interaction with Acarbose. Theoretically, stevia might increase the risk for hypoglycemia when combined with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Stevia and Acarbose

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Acarbose

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

Theoretically, stevia might increase the risk for hypoglycemia when combined with antidiabetes drugs.
Preliminary clinical research in patients with type 2 diabetes suggests that taking a single dose of stevia extract 1000 mg reduces postprandial blood glucose levels when taken with a meal. However, other clinical research in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes suggests that taking stevioside 250 mg three times daily does not significantly affect blood glucose levels or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) after three months of treatment.
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 if you're sweetening your coffee or food with stevia while taking acarbose (Precose). On paper, concentrated stevia might give a small nudge to lowering your blood sugar, and acarbose already blunts the sugar spike after meals. Stack the two and there's a theoretical chance your numbers could dip a bit lower than expected.

Honestly, I wouldn't lose sleep over this one. The evidence is weak and mixed, some studies showed a tiny effect, others showed none at all. The everyday pinch of stevia in your drinks is very unlikely to matter. If you're taking high-dose stevia supplements, just keep an eye out for low blood sugar signs (shakiness, sweating, feeling lightheaded) and chat with your pharmacist or doctor before starting them.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Gregersen S, Jeppesen PB, Holst JJ, Hermansen K. Antihyperglycemic effects of stevioside in type 2 diabetic subjects. Metabolism 2004;53:73-6. PubMed
  2. Barriocanal LA, Palacios M, Benitez G, et al. Apparent lack of pharmacological effect of steviol glycosides used as sweeteners in humans. A pilot study of repeated exposures in some normotensive and hypotensive individuals and in Type 1 and Type 2 diabeti

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

Stevia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Stevia has 1 moderate, 257 minor 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 1 Minor 257 No known interaction 2,572 (incl. Acarbose)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Stevia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Stevia 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 Stevia 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 Stevia 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 Stevia as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,899 real supplement products containing Stevia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Stevia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acarbose too, on top of Stevia — 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 Stevia 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 Stevia
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acarbose
Steady interest

#1,442 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 Stevia

What is Stevia?

  • Sugar substitute / sweetener
  • Blood sugar support in diabetes
  • Weight management
  • Blood pressure support
  • Reducing calorie intake

Stevia is a plant-based, calorie-free sweetener that is widely used as a sugar alternative and is considered safe in normal food amounts by major regulators. Purified stevia extracts have a good safety record, but evidence for medicinal benefits like lowering blood sugar or blood pressure is limited. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using stevia supplements for any health condition.

Read the full Stevia 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 & Stevia

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

0Major
1Moderate
257Minor
2,571No known interaction
1 Moderate 257 Minor 2,571 No interaction
Moderate

1 interaction

Minor

257 interactions

Showing 60 of 257 minor interactions — see all 257 on the Stevia page.

No interaction 2,571 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,571 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Stevia list.

See the full Stevia 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
Stevia 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 Stevia and Acarbose Together: Common Questions

Can you take Stevia with Acarbose?
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 Stevia and Acarbose 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 Acarbose and Stevia?

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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.