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Dietary supplement

Banaba 250 mg Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Advance Physician Formulas

Capsule Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Banaba 250 mg is a dietary supplement by Advance Physician Formulas with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for blood sugar support, type 2 diabetes, weight management.Based on those ingredients, 299 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Banaba leaf extract. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This supplement contains one active ingredient: banaba leaf extract at 250 mg per capsule. Banaba is a plant used traditionally to support blood sugar and metabolic health.

The capsule itself is made from vegetable material.

Does it work?

Not established
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not established

The graded evidence we hold for these ingredients covers different conditions than the ones this product is marketed for, so there's no established rating for its stated use — see Banaba's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: support healthy blood sugar levels.
  • We looked for evidence on: Diabetes, Impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), Metabolic syndrome, Glucose metabolism, Glycemic control.
  • The closest evidence on file: Banaba is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Diabetes (Natural Medicines).
  • Also on file: Banaba is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), Metabolic syndrome.

The evidence for banaba isn't well established yet. For diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), and metabolic syndrome, we have insufficient reliable evidence to rate how well it works.

While some human and animal research suggests banaba may affect blood sugar and blood pressure, we don't have enough high-quality clinical data to say whether it's truly effective for these purposes.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Banaba

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Banaba extract appears to be generally well tolerated in the short term, but long-term safety hasn't been well studied. Side effects reported with a specific banaba product include dizziness, headache, tremor, weakness, stomach upset, and palpitations — though it's unclear whether banaba alone or other ingredients in that product caused them.

Banaba is not recommended during pregnancy or while nursing. There isn't enough safety data to know whether it's safe for your baby, so it's best to avoid it if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Banaba

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Banaba.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 299 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking this if you use blood pressure medications or diabetes drugs — banaba can lower both. Also flag any medications that are absorbed through a transport system called OATP; banaba may reduce how well they work.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no established evidence rating for its marketed use. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Banaba might appeal to someone interested in natural blood sugar support, but the evidence for its effectiveness isn't solid yet. If you take blood pressure or diabetes medications, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting it — the risk of your blood sugar or pressure dropping too low is real.

Long-term safety data is also limited, so this isn't a long-term choice without more reassurance.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jun 16, 2022.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Banaba 250 mg, straight from the product label.

Brand Advance Physician Formulas
Barcode (UPC) 896996000540
Net contents 60 Vegetable Capsule(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jun 16, 2022
DSLD ID 270280
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Gluten Free, Dairy Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Veggie Capsule(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Veggie Capsule(s)
Servings per container
60
UPC/BARCODE
896996000540
IngredientAmount% DV
Banaba leaf extract250 mg--

Other ingredients: Vegetable Capsule

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Formula

Banaba leaf extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is standardized to 1% corosolic acid and has been used holistically to help support healthy blood sugar levels already within normal range.

Banaba leaf extract 1% corosolic acid 250 mg per serving

Precautions

Warnings: Keep out of reach of children.

Consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to using this product. Sealed for your protection. Do not use if seal is missing or broken.

This product is not manufactured with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy or gluten. Produced in a third-party registered cGMP compliant facility that may process other products containing these allergens or ingredients.

Storage

Store at room temperature, in a dry place. Protect product from excessive heat, freezing, humidity, and light.

Formulation

This product is not manufactured with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy or gluten.

Doctor formulated

FDA Disclaimer Statement

This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested use: As a dietary supplement, healthy adults take 1 capsule 1-3 times daily with meals, or as recommended by a qualified healthcare professional.

See for yourself

Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Veggie Capsule(s) Dosage formCapsule Servings per container60 Amounts shown are per serving.

Banaba leaf extract

Interacts with
299 drugs
250 mg per serving Form: Corsolic Acid

Banaba is a leaf extract most often used to help support healthy blood sugar, and small early studies suggest its active compound corosolic acid may m...

Banaba leaf extract monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Vegetable Capsule. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Banaba 250 mg?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
299Drugs
299 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Banaba 250 mg with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Banaba leaf extract3 drug types · 299 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba and hypoglycemic drugs might have additive effects.
Human and animal research suggests that banaba can lower blood glucose levels.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B
Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba and antihypertensive drugs might cause additive effects.
Human and animal research suggests that banaba can lower blood pressure.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B
Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptide Substrates (Oatp)

Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba with substrates of OATP might reduce the bioavailability of the OATP substrate.
In vitro research shows that banaba inhibits OATP, particularly OATP2B1. OATPs are expressed in the small intestine and liver and are responsible for the absorption of drugs and other compounds.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Banaba 250 mg, from the product label.

Advance Physician Formulas

See all Advance Physician Formulas products
Name
Advance Physician Formulas, Inc.
Street Address
17165 Von Karman Ave. Suite 109
City
Irvine
State
CA
ZipCode
92614
Web Address
physicianformulas.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas: Common Questions

Does Banaba 250 mg by Advance Physician Formulas interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Banaba 250 mg has a known interaction with 299 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Banaba 250 mg contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Can I take this if I'm pregnant or nursing?
No, banaba is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. There isn't enough safety data to know whether it's safe for your baby, so it's best to avoid it. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you're considering it.
What side effects have been reported?
Dizziness, headache, tremor, weakness, stomach upset, and palpitations have been reported with a specific banaba product, though it's not clear whether banaba alone caused them or whether other ingredients in that product played a role. Banaba extract by itself appears well tolerated overall, but long-term safety data is limited.
Does banaba actually work for blood sugar or diabetes?
We don't have enough reliable clinical evidence yet to say whether it's truly effective. While some animal and human research suggests banaba may lower blood glucose, the evidence isn't established enough for us to rate it.
Is this safe to use long-term?
Long-term safety hasn't been well studied. Short-term use appears generally well tolerated, but we don't have solid data on what happens with extended use. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how long you're planning to take it.
What is banaba and where does it come from?
Banaba is a plant traditionally used to support blood sugar and metabolic health. This product contains an extract of the banaba leaf at 250 mg per capsule.

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

Not sure if Banaba 250 mg is safe with your meds?

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Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Banaba 250 mg label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Banaba 250 mg's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 7 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Banaba 7 references
  1. Judy WV, Hari SP, Stogsdill WW, et al. Antidiabetic activity of a standardized extract (Glucosol) from Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves in Type II diabetics. A dose-dependence study. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;87:115-7. PubMed
  2. Kakuda T, Sakane I, Takihara T, et al. Hypoglycemic effect of extracts from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaves in genetically diabetic KK-AY mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1996;60:204-8.
  3. Fukushima, M., Matsuyama, F., Ueda, N., Egawa, K., Takemoto, J., Kajimoto, Y., Yonaha, N., Miura, T., Kaneko, T., Nishi, Y., Mitsui, R., Fujita, Y., Yamada, Y., and Seino, Y. Effect of corosolic acid on postchallenge plasma glucose levels. Diabetes Res C PubMed
  4. Yamaguchi, Y., Yamada, K., Yoshikawa, N., Nakamura, K., Haginaka, J., and Kunitomo, M. Corosolic acid prevents oxidative stress, inflammation and hypertension in SHR/NDmcr-cp rats, a model of metabolic syndrome. Life Sci 11-25-2006;79(26):2474-2479. PubMed
  5. Fuchikami H, Satoh H, Tsujimoto M, Ohdo S, Ohtani H, Sawada Y. Effects of herbal extracts on the function of human organic anion-transporting polypeptide OATP-B. Drug Metab Dispos 2006;34:577-82. PubMed
  6. Manaf A, Tjandrawinata RR, Malinda D. Insulin sensitizer in prediabetes: a clinical study with DLBS3233, a combined bioactive fraction of Cinnamomum burmanii and Lagerstroemia speciosa. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2016;10:1279-89. PubMed
  7. Tjokroprawiro A, Murtiwi S, Tjandrawinata RR. DLBS3233, a combined bioactive fraction of Cinnamomum burmanii and Lagerstroemia speciosa, in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients inadequately controlled by metformin and other oral antidiabetic agents. J Comple

See these in context on the Banaba monograph →

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.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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