Herb & supplement monograph

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

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

Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one rests on animal or lab research rather than proven effects in humans.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combinations we would watch most closely involve diabetes medications and CNS depressants such as sedatives. Animal research suggests zizyphus could lower blood sugar or add to drowsiness, though a small human study found no drop in fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and some animal work found no added sedation. Zizyphus may also speed up an enzyme the body uses to clear certain medications, which could in theory make those drugs less effective, but this has not been reported in people.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of moderate interactions comes almost entirely from these few theoretical concerns applied across hundreds of medications. A large number does not mean every combination is harmful, and in several cases the predicted effect did not appear when actually tested in humans or animals.

Check your medications against Zizyphus

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Zizyphus

469 medications have a known interaction with Zizyphus, 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 Zizyphus using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus 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 Zizyphus affects

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

All 3 drug categories Zizyphus interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsCns DepressantsCytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, zizyphus might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research shows that zizyphus has hypoglycemic activity. However, a small clinical study shows that zizyphus fruit powder does not reduce fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cns Depressants

Theoretically, zizyphus might cause additive sedative effects when taken with CNS depressants.
Some animal research has found that various parts of zizyphus have sedative effects. However, other animal research shows that zizyphus plant extract does not alter sleep parameters when used in combination with pentobarbital.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, zizyphus might decrease the levels and clinical effects of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
Animal research shows that zizyphus induces CYP1A2 enzymes. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Zizyphus: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Zizyphus (jujube) is an edible fruit and traditional remedy used mainly for sleep, anxiety, and digestion. The fruit is a nutritious food, but human evidence for its medicinal benefits is limited and mostly preliminary. If you want to try a supplement form, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Scientific name: Ziziphus jujuba
Family: Rhamnaceae
Part used: Fruit, seeds, leaves, and bark
Common forms: Dried fruit, tea, capsules, extracts, powders, and traditional formulas (often the seed, known as suan zao ren)

People commonly use it for

Sleep problems and insomnia
Anxiety and stress
Digestive support
General nutrition (vitamin C and fiber)
Constipation

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

The fruit is widely eaten as food, but concentrated supplements have not been well studied for safety.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When zizyphus fruit is consumed in the amounts typically found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of zizy...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When zizyphus fruit is consumed in the amounts typically found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of zizy...

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

Zizyphus, often spelled Ziziphus, refers to a group of trees and shrubs in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). The best-known species is Ziziphus jujuba, commonly called the jujube, Chinese date, or red date. It produces a small, sweet, date-like fruit that turns reddish-brown and wrinkly as it dries.

Jujube grows widely in China, the Mediterranean region, and parts of Asia, and is now cultivated in many warm areas around the world. The fruit is eaten fresh or dried and is also used in candies, teas, and syrups.

In traditional medicine systems, especially traditional Chinese medicine, the fruit, seeds, leaves, and bark have long been used for problems like poor sleep, anxiety, and digestive complaints. The seed (called suan zao ren) is a particularly common ingredient in calming and sleep formulas.

How it works

Zizyphus contains many natural compounds, including flavonoids, saponins (such as jujubosides), and other plant chemicals. Researchers believe some of these compounds may affect brain signaling pathways linked to relaxation and sleep, which could explain its traditional use as a calming remedy.

The fruit's fiber content may support normal bowel movements, and its vitamin C and antioxidants may help protect cells from damage. Some lab studies also suggest possible anti-inflammatory and protective effects.

It is important to know that most of this research comes from laboratory and animal studies, not large human trials. So while these mechanisms are interesting, they do not prove that Zizyphus will produce the same effects in people.

Effectiveness

Does Zizyphus work?

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

Evidence overview · 18 uses evaluated

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

Also studied for 18 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Aging skin