Herb & supplement monograph

Artichoke Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Artichoke interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Artichoke is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Artichoke is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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On this page

Artichoke Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Artichoke drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and although hundreds of medications are flagged at a moderate level, the evidence behind them is limited and largely theoretical.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combinations most worth watching involve diabetes medications and blood pressure medications. Small human studies show artichoke can modestly lower fasting blood sugar and reduce blood pressure by a few points. For most people these shifts are small, but if your blood sugar or blood pressure is tightly controlled, adding artichoke could nudge readings lower than expected. Neither effect has been firmly proven to cause problems, so this is a reason for awareness rather than alarm.

What the rest of the list means

Most of the long list comes from lab research suggesting artichoke may affect enzymes the body uses to clear certain medications. These effects have not been reported in people, so a medication appearing on the list does not mean the combination is harmful. In many cases, a predicted interaction on paper never turns into a meaningful change in real life.

Check your medications against Artichoke

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Artichoke interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Artichoke

364 medications have a known interaction with Artichoke, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Artichoke using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Artichoke interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Artichoke combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Artichoke affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Artichoke is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 4 drug categories Artichoke interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsAntihypertensive DrugsCytochrome P450 2b6 (cyp2b6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c19 (cyp2c19) Substrates

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, artichoke leaf extract may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
A meta-analysis of small clinical studies shows that taking artichoke leaf extract for 8-12 weeks can modestly reduce fasting plasma glucose when compared with placebo.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, artichoke leaf extract may increase the risk of hypotension when taken with antihypertensive drugs.
A meta-analysis of small clinical studies in patients with hypertension shows that taking artichoke can reduce systolic blood pressure by around 3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by around 2 mmHg when compared with placebo.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (Cyp2B6) Substrates

Theoretically, artichoke might increase serum levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2B6.
In vitro research shows that artichoke leaf extract inhibits CYP2B6 activity. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (Cyp2C19) Substrates

Theoretically, artichoke might increase serum levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C19.
In vitro research shows that artichoke leaf extract inhibits CYP2C19 activity. However, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Artichoke: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Artichoke leaf extract is a generally well-tolerated supplement that may have a mild cholesterol-lowering effect and is often used for indigestion, though the evidence is modest. It is not a replacement for proven treatments, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a medical condition.

Scientific name: Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Leaves (most common in supplements); also flower buds and roots
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tea, and as a food (the edible flower bud)

People commonly use it for

High cholesterol
Indigestion and heartburn
Constipation and bloating
Liver and gallbladder support
General digestive health

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated as a food and short-term supplement, but quality and dosing vary by product.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of artichoke when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or lactation; avoid...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of artichoke when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or lactation; avoid...

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a plant in the daisy family that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is best known as a vegetable, where the large, edible flower bud is cooked and eaten. The plant is now grown in many warm parts of the world.

Besides being a food, artichoke has a long history in traditional medicine. For dietary supplements, makers usually use a standardized extract of the leaves, which is different from the part you eat. People take it for digestive complaints and to support healthy cholesterol levels.

How it works

Artichoke leaves contain plant compounds such as cynarin and chlorogenic acid, along with flavonoids like luteolin. These are thought to have antioxidant effects and may influence how the body handles cholesterol and bile.

One proposed mechanism is that artichoke increases the flow of bile from the liver, which could help with digestion of fats and may play a role in its effect on cholesterol. It may also gently slow the body's production of cholesterol.

Keep in mind that much of this information comes from laboratory and animal research, so we cannot be certain exactly how it works in people.

Effectiveness

Does Artichoke work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 13 uses evaluated

2 Possibly effective 11 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Dyspepsia