Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Rooibos 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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Rooibos 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 Rooibos drug interaction appears low for most people, since nearly all reported interactions are theoretical. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one is graded as only possible, meaning the evidence comes mainly from lab or animal research rather than proven effects in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

Two combinations stand out from the rest. With atorvastatin, animal research found that a rooibos extract raised drug levels several-fold, which could increase side effects if the same happened in people. With ACE inhibitors, a small human study showed rooibos tea blocked the enzyme these blood pressure medicines target, so the combination could theoretically strengthen their effect. Neither has been confirmed to cause problems in people, but blood pressure and statin therapy are worth watching if you drink rooibos regularly.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications exists mostly because lab studies suggest rooibos may slow several enzymes the body uses to clear a wide range of drugs. That prediction sweeps in hundreds of medicines, but it has not been shown to cause meaningful changes in people. For the average person, an occasional cup of rooibos tea is unlikely to be a concern.

Check your medications against Rooibos

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Rooibos

881 medications have a known interaction with Rooibos, 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 Rooibos using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Rooibos 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 Rooibos 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 Rooibos affects

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

All 7 drug categories Rooibos interacts with

Ace Inhibitors (aceis)Atorvastatin (lipitor)Cytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c19 (cyp2c19) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c9 (cyp2c9) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) SubstratesCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates

Ace Inhibitors (Aceis)

Theoretically, taking rooibos with ACEIs may increase the therapeutic and adverse effects of ACEIs.
Clinical research in healthy adults shows that taking a single dose of rooibos tea, 400 mL orally, inhibits angiotensin-converting enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

Theoretically, taking rooibos with atorvastatin may increase the therapeutic and adverse effects of atorvastatin.
Animal research shows that consuming green rooibos extract with atorvastatin daily for 3 weeks increases the maximum plasma concentration of atorvastatin by 6-fold and reduces the clearance of atorvastatin.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP1A2 substrates may increase the effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems inhibits CYP1A2 enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (Cyp2C19) Substrates

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP2C19 substrates may increase the effects of CYP2C19 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems strongly inhibits CYP2C19 enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (Cyp2C9) Substrates

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP2C9 substrates may increase the effects of CYP2C9 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems inhibits CYP2C9 enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP2D6 substrates may increase the effects of CYP2D6 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems inhibits CYP2D6 enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, taking rooibos with CYP3A4 substrates may increase the effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that the methanol extract of rooibos leaves and stems strongly inhibits CYP3A4 enzyme activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Rooibos: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Rooibos is a caffeine-free herbal tea from South Africa that is rich in antioxidants and generally considered safe as a beverage. While lab and early studies suggest possible benefits for heart health, blood sugar, and inflammation, strong human evidence is lacking for most medical uses. Enjoy it as a tea, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated extracts for health reasons.

Scientific name: Aspalathus linearis
Family: Fabaceae
Part used: Leaves and stems
Common forms: Tea (loose leaf and tea bags), extracts, capsules, powders

People commonly use it for

Caffeine-free beverage
Antioxidant support
Heart health
Blood sugar support
Digestive upset
General wellness

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

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Rooibos tea is generally considered safe for most people when consumed in normal beverage amounts.

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.

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Overview

Rooibos (pronounced ROY-boss) is a plant native to South Africa. Its name means "red bush." The leaves and stems are dried and used to make a popular herbal tea with a mild, slightly sweet, earthy flavor.

Unlike black or green tea, rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins. It comes in two main types: the more common "red" rooibos, which is fermented (oxidized) to give it its reddish color, and "green" rooibos, which is unfermented and tends to have higher antioxidant levels.

People around the world drink rooibos as an everyday beverage. It is also sold as extracts, capsules, and powders that are marketed for various health purposes.

How it works

Rooibos contains a wide range of plant compounds, including unique antioxidants called aspalathin and nothofagin, along with other flavonoids and polyphenols. These compounds are thought to help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals.

In laboratory and animal studies, these antioxidants have shown anti-inflammatory effects and may influence how the body handles sugar and fats. Green (unfermented) rooibos generally contains higher levels of these compounds than the red, fermented type.

It is important to know that most of these effects have been seen in test tubes or animals, not in well-designed human studies. So while the science behind rooibos is interesting, we cannot yet say these mechanisms produce meaningful health benefits in people.

Effectiveness

Does Rooibos work?

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

Evidence overview · 9 uses evaluated

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

Also studied for 9 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Age-related cognitive decline