Drug & supplement interaction

Turkey Tail Mushroom + Nateglinide

Nateglinide brand name: Starlix.

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

Nateglinide falls into 2 drug categories that Turkey Tail Mushroom can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, taking turkey tail mushroom with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Turkey Tail Mushroom and Nateglinide

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Turkey Tail Mushroom interacts with whole categories of medication. Nateglinide falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Turkey Tail Mushroom in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Nateglinide

Nateglinide falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Turkey Tail Mushroom interacts with.

Theoretically, taking turkey tail mushroom with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research suggests that turkey tail mushroom and a polysaccharide component can have hypoglycemic effects.
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 short version: nateglinide already works by nudging your pancreas to release a quick burst of insulin around mealtimes, which lowers your blood sugar. Some early lab and animal studies hint that turkey tail mushroom may have its own mild blood-sugar-lowering effect. If both are doing that at the same time, there's a theoretical chance your blood sugar could drop a bit more than expected.

I want to be honest about the evidence though, it's weak and based on animal data, not real-world people taking this combo. If your sugar did run low, you might feel shaky, sweaty, dizzy, or hungry. If you'd like to try turkey tail, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first and keep an eye on your home glucose readings for a while.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Meng F, Lin Y, Hu L, Feng W, Su P, Wu L. The therapeutic effect of Coriolus versicolor fruiting body on STZ-induced ICR diabetic mice. J Healthc Eng 2022;2022:7282453. PubMed
  2. Nikolic M, Lazarevic N, Novakovic J, et al. Characterization, in vitro biological activity and in vivo cardioprotective properties of Trametes versicolor (L.:Fr.) quél. heteropolysaccharides in a rat model of metabolic syndrome. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 20 PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Nateglinide also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, the polysaccharide peptide (PSP) component of turkey tail mushroom might inhibit CYP2C9.
Laboratory research suggests that the PSP component of turkey tail mushroom dose-dependently inhibits CYP2C9. Theoretically, taking PSP with drugs metabolized by CYP2C9 might increase drug levels and the risk of adverse effects. However, this 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 for Starlix (nateglinide): your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C9 to help clear this medicine. In lab dish studies, the PSP part of turkey tail mushroom seemed to slow that same enzyme down. If that happened in your body, nateglinide could hang around a bit longer than usual, which in theory might push its blood-sugar-lowering effect a little too far. That could mean signs of low blood sugar, like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, hunger, or a racing heart.

I want to keep this in perspective, though. This is only a theoretical, test-tube finding, and it has never actually been reported in people taking it. The concern is minor. Still, if you plan to use turkey tail, give your pharmacist or doctor a heads-up and keep an eye on your readings.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Yeung JH and Or PM. Polysaccharide peptides from Coriolus versicolor competitively inhibit tolbutamide 4-hydroxylation in specific human CYP2C9 isoform and pooled human liver microsomes. Phytomedicine 2011;18(13):1170-5. 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

Turkey Tail Mushroom Also Interacts With Other Medications

Turkey Tail Mushroom has 87 moderate, 99 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Nateglinide one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 87 Minor 99 No known interaction 2,644 (incl. Nateglinide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Turkey Tail Mushroom

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Nateglinide

This page covers Turkey Tail Mushroom only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nateglinide page lists 290 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 241 moderate · 47 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nateglinide page

“People who take nateglinide (Starlix) with meals for type 2 diabetes are often drawn to supplements marketed for blood sugar, and that overlap is why these 290 interactions warrant real caution. Some 239 of the ingredients affect blood sugar on their own, most pushing it lower, so stacking them on nateglinide raises the odds of hypogly…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nateglinide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Turkey Tail Mushroom and Nateglinide 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nateglinide
Steady interest

#2,090 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 Turkey Tail Mushroom

What is Turkey Tail Mushroom?

Turkey Tail Mushroom
  • Immune support
  • Used alongside cancer care
  • Gut and digestive health
  • General wellness and energy
  • Antioxidant support

Turkey tail is a woodland mushroom rich in polysaccharides like beta-glucans, and it is mainly used to support the immune system. Some of its purified extracts (PSK and PSP) have been studied as add-on treatments alongside conventional cancer therapy in Asia, but evidence for everyday supplement use is limited. It is generally well tolerated, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a health condition or take other medicines.

Read the full Turkey Tail Mushroom monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nateglinide

What Is Nateglinide Used For?

Brand name: Starlix

Nateglinide tablets are used to help improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is always used together with diet and exercise — not as a replacement for them.

Nateglinide is not for type 1 diabetes, and it is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes dangerously acidic).

See full Nateglinide drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Turkey Tail Mushroom

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

0Major
87Moderate
99Minor
2,643No known interaction
87 Moderate 99 Minor 2,643 No interaction
Moderate

87 interactions

Showing 60 of 87 moderate interactions — see all 87 on the Turkey Tail Mushroom page.

Minor

99 interactions

Showing 60 of 99 minor interactions — see all 99 on the Turkey Tail Mushroom page.

No interaction 2,643 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,643 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Turkey Tail Mushroom list.

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

Can you take Turkey Tail Mushroom with Nateglinide?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Turkey Tail Mushroom and Nateglinide?
Nateglinide belongs to more than one drug category, and Turkey Tail Mushroom interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Turkey Tail Mushroom and Nateglinide 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 Nateglinide and Turkey Tail Mushroom?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.