Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Bergamot 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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Bergamot 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 Bergamot drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the concerns rest mainly on animal research or theoretical effects rather than proven problems in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The best-documented concern involves photosensitizing drugs, medicines that make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Bergamot contains a compound called bergapten that can have the same effect, so applying bergamot essential oil to the skin while taking these medicines may raise the chance of sun-related skin reactions. There is also a theoretical concern with diabetes medications, since animal research suggests bergamot juice may lower blood sugar, which could add to the effect of these drugs. Anyone whose blood sugar is closely managed may want to keep this in mind.

What the rest of the list means

A long list of interacting medications can look worrying, but it does not mean every combination is harmful. Most entries here come from just two broad medication groups, and the concerns are largely theoretical, drawn from animal studies or the known properties of bergamot's compounds. So far, these predicted effects have not been confirmed as meaningful problems in well-controlled human studies.

Check your medications against Bergamot

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Bergamot

410 medications have a known interaction with Bergamot, 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 Bergamot using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Bergamot 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 Bergamot 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 Bergamot affects

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

All 2 drug categories Bergamot interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsPhotosensitizing Drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, taking bergamot with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research suggests that bergamot juice has hypoglycemic effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Photosensitizing Drugs

Theoretically, topical bergamot essential oil might increase the risk of side effects when used along with photosensitizing drugs.
Bergamot contains bergapten, which has photosensitizing effects.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Monograph

Bergamot: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit, and its standardized extract is most often used to support cholesterol and heart health, with some early but promising research. The essential oil is widely used for fragrance and aromatherapy but should not be taken by mouth, and it can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using bergamot supplements, especially if you take medicine for cholesterol or blood sugar.

Scientific name: Citrus bergamia
Family: Rutaceae
Part used: Fruit (juice, peel, and essential oil) and standardized flavonoid extract
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, essential oil, standardized extract, food and drink flavoring

People commonly use it for

High cholesterol
Heart and metabolic health
Anxiety and stress (aromatherapy)
Antimicrobial/antiseptic
Skin care and fragrance

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Oral extract appears generally well tolerated short-term, but the essential oil can be toxic if swallowed and can cause sun-related skin reactions.

PregnancyPossibly Unsafe

When the oil is used topically. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bergamot when taken by mouth in medicinal amo...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingPossibly Unsafe

When the oil is used topically. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bergamot when taken by mouth in medicinal amo...

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

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a citrus fruit grown mainly in the Calabria region of southern Italy, along the Mediterranean coast. It looks like a small, yellow-green orange and has a fragrant peel.

The fruit is best known for two very different products. Bergamot essential oil, pressed from the peel, gives Earl Grey tea its flavor and is used in perfumes, cosmetics, and aromatherapy. Bergamot extract, made from the fruit and juice and rich in plant compounds called flavonoids, is used in dietary supplements—often standardized to a set percentage of total flavonoids.

In traditional medicine, bergamot has been used for soothing, antiseptic, and mood-related purposes. Today, most supplement interest focuses on its possible effects on cholesterol and metabolic health.

How it works

Bergamot fruit is rich in flavonoids—natural plant compounds such as neoeriocitrin, neohesperidin, and a group sometimes called "brutieridin" and "melitidin." Some of these compounds have a chemical structure that researchers think may act in ways loosely similar to how statin medicines affect cholesterol production, though this is mostly based on laboratory work.

Bergamot flavonoids also act as antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in cells. These mechanisms could help explain the possible effects on cholesterol and blood sugar.

The essential oil contains aromatic compounds like limonene and linalool, which are thought to influence mood when inhaled. It also contains bergapten (a furocoumarin) that makes skin more sensitive to sunlight. Many of these mechanisms are based on laboratory or animal research and are not fully proven in humans.

Effectiveness

Does Bergamot work?

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

Evidence overview · 21 uses evaluated

1 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 19 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 Hyperlipidemia