Drug & supplement interaction

Zizyphus + Acarbose

Acarbose brand names: Precose, Prandase, Glucobay.

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

Zizyphus has a moderate interaction with Acarbose. Theoretically, zizyphus might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Zizyphus and Acarbose

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Acarbose

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

Theoretically, zizyphus might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research shows that zizyphus has hypoglycemic activity. However, a small clinical study shows that zizyphus fruit powder does not reduce fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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: zizyphus may have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect of its own, at least in animal studies. So in theory, pairing it with acarbose (Precose) could nudge your glucose a little lower than acarbose alone. That said, this is a theoretical concern based on pharmacology, and a small human study using jujube fruit powder didn't actually lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.

On its own, acarbose rarely causes low blood sugar, but if it ever does (or if you're also on insulin or a sulfonylurea), watch for shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or confusion. Eating jujube as a food is very unlikely to matter. Before starting a concentrated supplement, check with your pharmacist or doctor and keep an eye on your readings.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Cisse, A., Ndiaye, A., Lopez-Sall, P., Seck, F., Faye, B., and Faye, B. [Antidiabetic activity of Zizyphus mauritiana Lam (Rhamnaceae)]. Dakar Med 2000;45(2):105-107.
  2. Abdel-Zaher, A. O., Salim, S. Y., Assaf, M. H., and Abdel-Hady, R. H. Antidiabetic activity and toxicity of Zizyphus spina-christi leaves. J Ethnopharmacol. 10-3-2005;101(1-3):129-138. PubMed
  3. Nesseem, D. I., Michel, C. G., Sleem, A. A., and El-Alfy, T. S. Formulation and evaluation of antihyperglycemic leaf extracts of Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. Pharmazie 2009;64(2):104-109. DOI
  4. Anand, K. K., Singh, B., Chand, D., Chandan, B. K., and Gupta, V. N. Effect of Zizyphus sativa leaves on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan-diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1989;27(1-2):121-127. PubMed
  5. Glombitza, K. W., Mahran, G. H., Mirhom, Y. W., Michel, K. G., and Motawi, T. K. Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of Zizyphus spina-christi in rats. Planta Med 1994;60(3):244-247.
  6. Jarald, E. E., Joshi, S. B., and Jain, D. C. Antidiabetic activity of extracts and fraction of <it>Zizyphus mauritiana. Pharmaceutical Biology 2009;47:328-334.
  7. Irannejad Niri Z, Shidfar F, Jabbari M, et al. The effect of dried Ziziphus vulgaris on glycemic control, lipid profile, apo-proteins and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Food Biochem 2020; Mar 30

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

Zizyphus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Zizyphus has 468 moderate 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 468 No known interaction 2,362 (incl. Acarbose)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Zizyphus

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus 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

How much people look this up

Where Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus
Steady interest

#1,296 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Acarbose
Steady interest

#1,434 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 Zizyphus

What is Zizyphus?

Zizyphus
  • Sleep problems and insomnia
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Digestive support
  • General nutrition (vitamin C and fiber)
  • Constipation

Zizyphus (jujube) is an edible fruit and traditional remedy used mainly for sleep, anxiety, and digestion. The fruit is a nutritious food, but human evidence for its medicinal benefits is limited and mostly preliminary. If you want to try a supplement form, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Read the full Zizyphus 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 & Zizyphus

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

0Major
468Moderate
0Minor
2,361No known interaction
468 Moderate 2,361 No interaction
Moderate

468 interactions

Showing 60 of 468 moderate interactions — see all 468 on the Zizyphus page.

No interaction 2,361 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,361 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Zizyphus list.

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

Can you take Zizyphus with Acarbose?
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 Zizyphus and Acarbose 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 Acarbose and Zizyphus?

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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.