Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Guarumo 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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Guarumo 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 Guarumo drug interaction appears low for most people, though anyone taking diabetes medication should be more careful. No interactions with Guarumo are rated major; all fall into the moderate range, and most rest on animal or theoretical evidence rather than proven effects in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction with diabetes medications stands out because it has some human clinical support: tea made from guarumo leaf may lower blood glucose, so combining it with drugs like glimepiride or glyburide could add to their effect and drop blood sugar too far. Closer glucose monitoring makes sense here. Concerns about blood pressure medications and sedating drugs come only from animal research, where guarumo extracts lowered blood pressure and depressed the nervous system, so these remain unproven but worth awareness in people on tightly controlled regimens.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications largely reflects a few broad drug classes rather than hundreds of separate proven problems. Most of these pairings are theoretical, drawn from animal or lab studies of possible additive effects, and have not been shown to cause meaningful changes in people. The list signals caution, not confirmed harm.

Check your medications against Guarumo

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Guarumo

505 medications have a known interaction with Guarumo, 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 Guarumo using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Guarumo 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 Guarumo 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 Guarumo affects

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

All 3 drug categories Guarumo interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsAntihypertensive DrugsCns Depressants

Antidiabetes Drugs

Some clinical evidence suggests that drinking tea prepared with guarumo leaf might lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Theoretically, guarumo might have additive effects when used with antidiabetes drugs. Monitor blood glucose levels closely. Dose adjustments might be necessary. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Antihypertensive Drugs

Evidence from animal research suggests that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of guarumo leaf can lower blood pressure when administered intravenously to rats. Theoretically, concomitant use of antihypertensive drugs with guarumo might enhance therapeutic effects and increase the risk of hypotension. Some antihypertensive drugs include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cns Depressants

In an animal study, an aqueous extract of guarumo depressed the central nervous system, inducing significant motor incoordination and muscle relaxant activity. Theoretically, guarumo might potentiate the sedative effects of drugs.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Guarumo: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Guarumo (Cecropia obtusifolia) is a tropical tree used in Latin American traditional medicine, most often as a leaf tea for diabetes and high blood pressure. Some early laboratory and small human studies suggest it may modestly affect blood sugar, but the evidence is limited and not strong enough to recommend it as a treatment. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a chronic condition or take medication.

Scientific name: Cecropia obtusifolia
Family: Urticaceae
Part used: Leaves (most common), bark, and root
Common forms: Tea (infusion or decoction), liquid extracts, capsules, and dried leaf

People commonly use it for

Type 2 diabetes / blood sugar support
High blood pressure
Cough, asthma, and bronchitis
Heart failure symptoms
Liver and rheumatic complaints

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

It has a long history of traditional use, but human safety data are very limited.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

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.

Jump to a section

Overview

Guarumo is a fast-growing tropical tree native to the rainforests of Mexico and Central and South America. It is known by many local names, including chancarro, guarumbo, and snakewood tree. Its broad, hand-shaped leaves and hollow stems are easy to recognize.

In traditional medicine, people most often use the dried leaves to make a tea. The bark and root are also used. Folk healers have used guarumo for a wide range of complaints, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, cough, asthma, liver issues, and joint pain.

Today guarumo is sold in some places as a dried herb, tea, liquid extract, or capsule. It is mainly promoted as a natural option for blood sugar and blood pressure support.

How it works

Guarumo leaves contain plant compounds such as chlorogenic acid, other polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. These are antioxidant compounds found in many plants.

Laboratory and animal studies suggest these compounds may slow the breakdown and absorption of sugars in the gut and may help the body use insulin a little better. Some researchers also think guarumo's compounds may relax blood vessels, which could affect blood pressure.

It is important to know that most of this information comes from test-tube and animal research. We do not fully understand how guarumo works in the human body, or how much of these active compounds end up in a typical tea or supplement.

Effectiveness

Does Guarumo work?

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

Evidence overview · 1 use evaluated

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

Also studied for 1 condition — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Diabetes

Rating & evidence shown verbatim from Natural Medicines

Drinking guarumo tea may improve blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes; however, current evidence is limited, so larger, higher quality studies are needed to confirm. One small, preliminary clinical study in patients with type 2 diabetes not taking antidiabetes medication shows that drinking guarumo tea daily for 32 weeks modestly reduces blood glucose and lowers HbA1c from 7.3% at baseline to 6.35% after treatment. The guarumo tea used in this study was prepared by boiling 13.5 grams of dried guarumo leaves in one liter of water for 5 minutes. One glass of tea was consumed before all meals, and the remainder of the one liter of tea was consumed throughout the remainder of the day. Another small, preliminary clinical study in patients with type 2 diabetes with poor response to glibenclamide shows that drinking tea prepared by boiling 1 gram of dried guarumo leaves in 8 oz of water three times daily before meals for 21 days as adjunct to glibenclamide reduces fasting blood glucose by about 15% compared to baseline. Both of these studies were small and had methodological limitations, including lack of an appropriate control group.

Sources Ref 26506 Ref 86369

Source & disclaimer. Effectiveness ratings and evidence summaries are provided by Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) and shown as licensed. Where Natural Medicines hasn’t rated a use, HelloPharmacist’s pharmacists may add their own reviewed rating and evidence (each such entry is labeled). This is educational information, not medical advice — talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or changing a supplement.

Safety & precautions

Guarumo has been used as a food and folk medicine for a long time, which suggests the leaf tea is reasonably well tolerated by many people. Still, modern safety testing is very limited, and we do not have good data on long-term use or high doses.

Because guarumo may lower blood sugar, people with diabetes should be cautious and monitor their blood sugar closely to avoid it dropping too low. People being treated for low blood pressure or heart conditions should also be careful and check with a healthcare provider first.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: There is not enough reliable safety information for these groups. To be safe, women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding should avoid guarumo.

Always tell your pharmacist or doctor about any herbal product you take, especially before surgery or if you have a chronic health condition.

Side effects

Reported side effects are not well documented because formal studies are limited. Mild digestive upset, such as nausea or stomach discomfort, is possible with herbal teas.

Because guarumo may lower blood sugar and blood pressure, watch for signs of these dropping too low, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating, shakiness, or feeling faint.

As with any plant product, an allergic reaction is possible. Stop using it and seek medical care if you notice rash, swelling, or trouble breathing.

Guarumo: Reported Adverse Effects

Documented safety reports on Guarumo from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database, shown word-for-word from the licensed record.

Orally, guarumo seems to be well tolerated when used as a tea. Rare side effects reported in a clinical trial include excessive salivation, heartburn, and exhaustion. Topically, no adverse effects have been reported. However, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.

Reports by condition

Dyspepsia Gastrointestinal

Orally, excessive salivation and heartburn were reported by one patient each after drinking tea prepared from 1 gram of dried guarumo leaves three times daily before meals for 21 days.

Herrera-Arellano, A., Aguilar-Santamaria, L., Garcia-Hernandez, B., Nicasio-Torres, P., and Tortoriello, J. Clinical trial of Cecropia obtusifolia and Marrubium vulgare leaf extracts on blood glucose and serum lipids in type 2 diabetics. Phytomedicine 200

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.

Adverse-effects data: Natural Medicines, Therapeutic Research Center

Dosing

There is no established standard dose for guarumo. Traditional use most often involves a tea made from the dried leaves, but the amount of active compounds can vary a lot between products and even between batches.

If you choose to use a guarumo product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed them. Because the quality and strength of herbal products vary, choose products from reputable brands when possible.

Before starting guarumo, especially if you have diabetes, high or low blood pressure, or take any medication, check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure it is appropriate for you.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Guarumo & Pregnancy

Insufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Guarumo & Breastfeeding

Insufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Pregnancy & lactation ratings: Natural Medicines, Therapeutic Research Center

References & further reading

The 6 references that drive our Guarumo monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Revilla-Monsalve, M. C., Andrade-Cetto, A., Palomino-Garibay, M. A., Wiedenfeld, H., and Islas-Andrade, S. Hypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extracts on type 2 diabetic patients. J Ethnopharmacol 2007;111(3):636-40. PubMed
Perez-Guerrero, C., Herrera, M. D., Ortiz, R., Alvarez, de Sotomayor, and Fernandez, M. A. A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;76(3):279-84. PubMed
Vidrio, H., Garcia-Marquez, F., Reyes, J., and Soto, R. M. Hypotensive activity of Cecropia obtusifolia. J Pharm Sci 1982;71:475-76. PubMed
Salas, I., Brenes, J. R., and Morales, O. M. Antihypertensive effect of Cecropia obtusifolia (Moraceae) leaf extract on rats. Rev Biol Trop 1987;35(1):127-30.
Salas, I. G., Morales, O. M., and Brenes, J. R. Effect of chronic administration of Cecropia obtusifolia (Moraceae) on mean arterial pressure in rats. Rev Biol Trop 1987;35(2):359-62.
Herrera-Arellano, A., Aguilar-Santamaria, L., Garcia-Hernandez, B., Nicasio-Torres, P., and Tortoriello, J. Clinical trial of Cecropia obtusifolia and Marrubium vulgare leaf extracts on blood glucose and serum lipids in type 2 diabetics. Phytomedicine 200 PubMed

Keep reading

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.

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.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Guarumo: Common Questions

What is Guarumo used for, and does it work?

People use Guarumo for a range of reasons, but according to the Natural Medicines database the current clinical evidence is insufficient to confirm it works for the specific conditions it has been studied for. See the graded list on this page, and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before relying on it for any condition.

Does Guarumo interact with prescription medications?

Yes. We list 505 medications with a known interaction with Guarumo. Use the checker above to see how Guarumo interacts with a specific drug.

How are Guarumo interactions rated?

Each interaction is graded major, moderate, or minor based on how clinically significant it is and the strength of the evidence behind it. Major interactions are the most serious and are best avoided, or used only under close professional supervision.

Is it safe to take Guarumo with my medications?

It depends on the specific medication. Some combinations are fine, while others call for monitoring, timing changes, or should be avoided. Check your exact drug above and confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or changing anything.

Where does this Guarumo interaction information come from?

Our interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database — an evidence-graded reference for vitamins, herbs, and supplements — and is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists, who may add clinical context.

What is Guarumo used for?

People most commonly use Guarumo leaf tea for blood sugar (type 2 diabetes) and high blood pressure. It is also used in traditional medicine for cough, asthma, heart, liver, and joint problems, though good scientific proof is lacking.

Does Guarumo really lower blood sugar?

Some small studies and lab research suggest it might modestly affect blood sugar, but the evidence is preliminary. It should never replace prescribed diabetes treatment without medical guidance.

Is Guarumo safe to take?

It has a long history of traditional use, but modern safety data are limited. Use caution, follow product labels, and talk to your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you have a health condition.

Can I use Guarumo while pregnant or breastfeeding?

No. There is not enough safety information, so it is best to avoid Guarumo during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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Guarumo Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Your Choice:

Guarumo Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

Drugs that interact with Guarumo

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

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Where This Data Comes From

The kinds of drugs Guarumo affects

Guarumo: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Overview

How it works

Does Guarumo work?

Safety & precautions

Side effects

Guarumo: Reported Adverse Effects

Dosing

Guarumo & Pregnancy

Guarumo & Breastfeeding

References & further reading

Guarumo: Common Questions

Related supplements & herbs

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