Drug & supplement interaction

Tree Turmeric + Insulin Lispro

Insulin Lispro brand names: Admelog, Admelog Solostar.

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

Tree Turmeric has a moderate interaction with Insulin Lispro. Theoretically, tree turmeric, taken alone or in combination with milk thistle, might increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients taking antidiabetes drugs.

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

Tree Turmeric and Insulin Lispro

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Lispro

Insulin Lispro falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Tree Turmeric interacts with.

Theoretically, tree turmeric, taken alone or in combination with milk thistle, might increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients taking antidiabetes drugs.
Clinical research shows that taking a product containing tree turmeric and milk thistle extracts can lower blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes, including those on antidiabetic agents. Additionally, clinical research suggests that berberine, a constituent of tree turmeric, can lower blood glucose levels.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence A

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 gist: tree turmeric (and the berberine in it) tends to lower blood sugar on its own. Insulin lispro already lowers your blood sugar quickly after meals, so stacking the two can push your levels down further than expected. The concern here is hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, which can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

This isn't just lab talk either. Human studies actually show berberine and tree turmeric products can meaningfully drop blood sugar and HbA1c, even in folks already on diabetes meds. So please don't add it on your own. If you and your doctor want to try it, your insulin dose may need to be adjusted and your readings watched more closely. Loop in your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Zhang Y, Li X, Zou D, et al. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2559-65. PubMed
  2. Yin, J., Xing, H., and Ye, J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2008;57(5):712-717. PubMed
  3. Zhang, H., Wei, J., Xue, R., Wu, J. D., Zhao, W., Wang, Z. Z., Wang, S. K., Zhou, Z. X., Song, D. Q., Wang, Y. M., Pan, H. N., Kong, W. J., and Jiang, J. D. Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin re
  4. Wei, W., Zhao, H., Wang, A., Sui, M., Liang, K., Deng, H., Ma, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., and Guan, Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndro
  5. Derosa G, Romano D, D'Angelo A, Maffioli P. Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum fixed combination (Berberol(®)) effects on lipid profile in dyslipidemic patients intolerant to statins at high dosages: a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Phyto PubMed
  6. Di Pierro F, Bellone I, Rapacioli G, Putignano P. Clinical role of a fixed combination of standardized Berberis aristata and Silybum marianum extracts in diabetic and hypercholesterolemic patients intolerant to statins. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:8 PubMed
  7. Di Pierro F, Villanova N, Agostini F, Marzocchi R, Soverini V, Marchesini G. Pilot study on the additive effects of berberine and oral type 2 diabetes agents for patients with suboptimal glycemic control. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2012;5:213-7. 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

Tree Turmeric Also Interacts With Other Medications

Tree Turmeric has 2 major, 1,157 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Lispro one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 1,157 No known interaction 1,671 (incl. Insulin Lispro)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Tree Turmeric

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Lispro

This page covers Tree Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Lispro page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Lispro page

“Blood sugar is the entire subject of this list. Insulin lispro (Admelog) is a rapid mealtime insulin dosed to bring glucose down after eating, and the supplements below can shove that same number around, most of them downward, which risks a genuine low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Lispro interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 51 real supplement products containing Tree Turmeric, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Tree Turmeric. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Lispro too, on top of Tree Turmeric — 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 Tree Turmeric and Insulin Lispro 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 Tree Turmeric
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Lispro
Steady interest

#1,748 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 Tree Turmeric

What is Tree Turmeric?

  • Blood sugar support
  • High cholesterol
  • Digestive complaints
  • Skin and eye conditions
  • Antimicrobial uses
  • Liver support

Tree turmeric (Berberis aristata) is a shrub used in traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine, valued mainly for its berberine content. Early research suggests possible benefits for blood sugar and cholesterol, but high-quality human evidence is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Tree Turmeric monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Lispro Injection

What Is Insulin Lispro Injection Used For?

Brand names: Admelog, Admelog Solostar

Insulin lispro injection is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a rapid-acting insulin analog approved for use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Admelog is specifically indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Humalog Mix75/25 is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus; it is a fixed-ratio mixture of insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine, and its fixed proportions do not allow for separate adjustment of basal (background) and prandial (mealtime) doses.

See full Insulin Lispro Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Tree Turmeric

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

2Major
1,157Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
2 Major 1,157 Moderate 1,670 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

1,157 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,157 moderate interactions — see all 1,157 on the Tree Turmeric page.

No interaction 1,670 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,670 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Tree Turmeric list.

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

Can you take Tree Turmeric with Insulin Lispro?
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 Tree Turmeric and Insulin Lispro 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 Lispro and Tree Turmeric?

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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.