Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Goji 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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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Goji

1002 medications have a known interaction with Goji, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

2 major interactions. These combinations can be clinically significant — best avoided, or used only with close professional supervision. Always check with your pharmacist before combining them with Goji.

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

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

AI summaries are generated from our Goji 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 Goji 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 Goji affects

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

All 8 drug categories Goji interacts with

Warfarin (coumadin)Antihypertensive DrugsCytochrome P450 2c19 (cyp2c19) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c9 (cyp2c9) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) SubstratesFlecainide (tambocor)Antidiabetes Drugs

Warfarin (Coumadin)

Goji can increase the effects of warfarin and possibly increase the risk of bleeding.
There are at least 5 case reports of increased international normalized ratio (INR) in patients stabilized on warfarin who began drinking goji juice, concentrated goji tea, or goji wine. Goji may inhibit the metabolism of warfarin by cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9).

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of goji root bark, but not goji fruit, with antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects.
Animal and in vitro research suggest that goji root bark has hypotensive effects. However, goji fruit juice does not appear to reduce systolic or diastolic blood pressure in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (Cyp2C19) Substrates

Theoretically, goji berry might inhibit CYP2C19 and reduce metabolism of CYP2C19 substrates.
In vitro research shows that goji berry tincture and juice inhibit CYP2C19 enzymes. Concomitant use with goji may decrease metabolism and increase levels of CYP2C19 substrates. However, this has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

Theoretically, goji berry might inhibit CYP2C9 and reduce metabolism of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that goji berry tincture and juice inhibit CYP2C9 enzymes. Additionally, multiple case reports suggest that goji berry concentrated tea and juice inhibit the metabolism of warfarin, a CYP2C9 substrate. Concomitant use with goji may decrease metabolism and increase levels of CYP2C9 substrates.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Theoretically, goji berry might inhibit CYP2D6 and reduce metabolism of CYP2D6 substrates.
In vitro research shows that goji berry juice inhibits CYP2D6 enzymes. Concomitant use with goji may decrease metabolism and increase levels of CYP2D6 substrates. However, this has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, goji berry might inhibit CYP3A4 and reduce metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that goji berry juice inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. Concomitant use with goji may decrease metabolism and increase levels of CYP3A4 substrates. However, this has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Flecainide (Tambocor)

Theoretically, goji berry might increase the levels and clinical effects of flecainide.
In one case report, a 75-year-old patient stable on flecainide and warfarin presented to the emergency room with fainting and pleomorphic arrhythmia caused by flecainide toxicity. Flecainide toxicity was attributed to drinking 1-2 glasses of concentrated goji tea daily for 2 weeks. Theoretically, goji may have inhibited the cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) metabolism of flecainide.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of goji fruit polysaccharides or goji root bark with antidiabetes drugs might have additive effects.
Animal and in vitro research show that goji root bark and fruit polysaccharides might have hypoglycemic effects. However, clinical research has only shown that taking goji fruit polysaccharides with or without antidiabetes drugs modestly reduces postprandial glucose when compared with control, with no reports of hypoglycemia.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Monograph

Goji: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Goji berries are a nutritious fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and plant polysaccharides, and they are safe for most people as a food. While they are popular for eye health, immune support, and general wellness, strong human evidence for most health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated goji supplements, especially if you take medications or are pregnant.

Scientific name: Lycium barbarum
Family: Solanaceae
Part used: Fruit (berries); root bark and leaves are also used in traditional medicine
Common forms: Dried berries, juice, capsules, powders, teas, extracts

People commonly use it for

General antioxidant support
Eye health
Immune support
Anti-aging and well-being
Blood sugar support

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements have less safety data.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available. Some animal research shows that goji fruit may stimulate the uterus. However, this has not been reported...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available. Some animal research shows that goji fruit may stimulate the uterus. However, this has not been reported...

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

Goji, also called wolfberry, is the small red-orange fruit of the Lycium barbarum shrub, a plant in the nightshade family. It grows mainly in China and other parts of Asia, where it has been used in food and traditional medicine for centuries.

The berries have a sweet, slightly tart taste and are usually sold dried, much like raisins. People eat them as a snack or add them to cereal, yogurt, soups, and tea. They are also made into juice, powders, and capsules. In traditional Chinese medicine, the root bark (called Di Gu Pi) and leaves are used too, though the berry is most popular today.

Goji is marketed as a "superfood" because it contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and special plant sugars called polysaccharides. Some supplements are standardized for their polysaccharide content.

How it works

Goji berries contain several compounds that may explain their proposed effects. The most studied are Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs), which are plant sugars that may interact with the immune system and have antioxidant activity in laboratory studies.

The berries are also rich in carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, which are pigments that help protect cells from oxidative stress and are concentrated in the eye. Goji also provides vitamin C, certain B vitamins, and minerals.

It is important to know that much of this research comes from test tube and animal studies. What happens in a lab dish does not always translate to real benefits in people.

Effectiveness

Does Goji work?

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

Evidence overview · 14 uses evaluated

14 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.

For Goji, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 14 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)