Drug & supplement interaction

Wheatgrass + Insulin (rDNA)

Insulin (rDNA) brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Wheatgrass has a moderate interaction with Insulin (rDNA). Theoretically, taking wheatgrass with antidiabetes drugs might lower blood glucose levels and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Wheatgrass and Insulin (rDNA)

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin (rDNA)

Insulin (rDNA) falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Wheatgrass interacts with.

Theoretically, taking wheatgrass with antidiabetes drugs might lower blood glucose levels and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research shows that taking wheatgrass stimulates the release of insulin from beta-cells and lowers blood glucose.
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 with wheatgrass and your insulin (like Humalog or Humulin): insulin already does the heavy lifting of pulling your blood sugar down. Wheatgrass may nudge your sugar a little lower too. Stack the two and, in theory, you could dip further than expected, which raises the chance of a low (hypoglycemia). That can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

I want to be honest about the evidence here, though. This is based only on lab and animal studies, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. If you'd like to add wheatgrass, that's usually fine for many people, but check your sugars a bit more closely at first and chat with your doctor or pharmacist before changing any insulin doses.

References
  1. Mohan Y, Jesuthankaraj GN1, Ramasamy Thangavelu N. Antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of Triticum aestivum in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Adv Pharmacol Sci 2013;2013:716073.
  2. Shakya G, Randhi PK, Pajaniradje S, Mohankumar K, Rajagopalan R. Hypoglycaemic role of wheatgrass and its effect on carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in type II diabetic rats. Toxicol Ind Health 2016;32(6):1026-32. 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

Wheatgrass Also Interacts With Other Medications

Wheatgrass has 271 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin (rDNA) 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 Wheatgrass

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin (rDNA)

This page covers Wheatgrass only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin (rDNA) page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin (rDNA) page

“A weed called Siberian cocklebur has caused severe low blood sugar in humans and is the one ingredient to avoid outright while using insulin (rDNA) products like Humalog or Humulin. This list deserves real respect.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin (rDNA) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 104 real supplement products containing Wheatgrass, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wheatgrass. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin (rDNA) too, on top of Wheatgrass — 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 Wheatgrass and Insulin (rDNA) 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 Wheatgrass
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin (rDNA)
Top half

#1,003 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 Wheatgrass

What is Wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass
  • General nutrition support
  • Digestive health
  • Antioxidant support
  • Energy and wellness
  • Arthritis symptoms
  • Detox or cleansing routines

Wheatgrass is the young grass of the wheat plant, taken as a juice or powder, and is mainly used as a concentrated source of vitamins and plant nutrients. Solid scientific evidence for most health claims is limited, and it is best viewed as a nutritional add-on rather than a treatment. It is generally well tolerated, but people with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or who are pregnant should be cautious and check with a healthcare provider.

Read the full Wheatgrass monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Lispro Injection

What Is Insulin Lispro Injection Used For?

Brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, Humulin 50/50, Humulin 70/30, Humulin U, NovoLog, Velosulin, Novolog Mix 70/30, Actrapid, Humulin S, Insuman Rapid

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 & Wheatgrass

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

0Major
271Moderate
0Minor
2,558No known interaction
Moderate

271 interactions

Showing 60 of 271 moderate interactions — see all 271 on the Wheatgrass page.

No interaction 2,558 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 Wheatgrass and Insulin (rDNA) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wheatgrass with Insulin (rDNA)?
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 Wheatgrass and Insulin (rDNA) 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

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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.