Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Wasabi 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

Wasabi 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 Wasabi drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the entire profile rests on a single theoretical concern that has not been confirmed in human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one area that deserves real attention is anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, often called blood thinners. Lab research shows that a natural compound in wasabi may slow the clumping of platelets, the blood cells that help form clots. In theory, that effect could add to the action of these medicines and raise the chance of bleeding, which matters because bleeding risk is watched closely in anyone taking them. This has only been seen in laboratory studies, not in people, so we treat it as a caution rather than a proven problem.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of medications looks larger than it really is. Every entry traces back to that one theoretical bleeding concern, applied across the many individual blood-thinning medicines. No wasabi interaction has been documented in well-controlled human studies, so a long list here reflects caution, not confirmed harm.

Check your medications against Wasabi

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Wasabi

122 medications have a known interaction with Wasabi, 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 Wasabi using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Wasabi 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 Wasabi 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 Wasabi affects

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

All 1 drug category Wasabi interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet Drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, wasabi might increase the risk of bleeding with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro research shows that 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate, a constituent of wasabi, inhibits platelet aggregation.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Wasabi: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Wasabi is best known as the pungent green condiment served with sushi, made from a Japanese plant in the cabbage family. Its natural compounds (isothiocyanates) show antimicrobial and antioxidant activity in lab studies, but there is very little human research to support taking it as a supplement. As a food it is generally safe; as a concentrated supplement, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Scientific name: Eutrema japonicum
Family: Brassicaceae
Part used: Rhizome (root stem), and sometimes the leaves and stalks
Common forms: Fresh paste, dried powder, capsules, extracts, and as a culinary condiment

People commonly use it for

Flavoring for sushi and other foods
Antimicrobial support
Anti-inflammatory support
Antioxidant support
General immune 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 supplement-strength doses are not well studied in people.

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

Wasabi comes from the rhizome (a thick underground stem) of a plant in the cabbage and mustard family. It grows naturally along cool, clean mountain streams in Japan and is now also cultivated in a few other countries. The grated root is made into the sharp, spicy green paste many people know from sushi restaurants.

Most so-called "wasabi" served outside of Japan is actually a mix of horseradish, mustard, and green coloring, because true wasabi is expensive and hard to grow. Beyond its use as a food, wasabi is sometimes sold as a powder, capsule, or extract and is promoted for its natural plant compounds.

How it works

Wasabi contains sulfur-based compounds called isothiocyanates (the most studied is allyl isothiocyanate). These are the same kinds of compounds that give the plant its sharp, sinus-clearing kick.

In laboratory and animal studies, these compounds appear to fight certain bacteria, reduce markers of inflammation, and act as antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. Researchers think they may also influence the body's natural detoxifying pathways.

It is important to remember that effects seen in a lab dish or in animals do not always carry over to humans. The doses used in research are also often much higher than what you would get from eating wasabi.

Effectiveness

Does Wasabi work?

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

Evidence overview · 5 uses evaluated

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

Also studied for 5 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Cardiovascular disease (CVD)