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Dietary supplement

Black Currant Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Herbs Etc.

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

Black Currant is a dietary supplement by Herbs Etc. with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for dry eyes and eye strain, joint pain and inflammation, immune and general wellness support.Based on those ingredients, 140 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are fresh Black Currant. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Black Currant by Herbs Etc.

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

Low disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Low

Most active ingredients don't disclose an individual amount — you can't tell how much of each you're getting.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 0 of its 1 active ingredient.

This liquid contains one active ingredient: fresh black currant. It's prepared with 40% grain alcohol and purified water as inactive ingredients.

Does it work?

Couldn't assess
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 assessable

This is a single-ingredient Black Currant product and its label doesn't state a use — see Black Currant's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • We looked at the product name, claims, and label statements and couldn't find a stated purpose to grade.

The evidence we hold isn't established for black currant as a supplement. It's been studied for Alzheimer disease, liver disease, upper respiratory tract infections, cough, and atopic dermatitis (eczema), but the available data rates all of these as insufficient to say whether it works.

While black currants are nutritious as a food, concentrated supplements lack the research to confirm a benefit for any specific condition.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Black Currant

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.

The berry itself is safe in food amounts, but concentrated supplements like this one are less studied and should be used carefully. In one trial of 2,154 people taking black currant seed oil at a higher dose, a small number reported mild diarrhea within 2–10 days of starting.

Pregnancy and lactation safety data aren't on file for this product — talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether it's right for you if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Black Currant

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 — Black Currant.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs.
  • For scale: 140 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 before taking if you're on blood thinners or antiplatelet drugs (like warfarin, aspirin, or clopidogrel) — black currant may increase bleeding risk. Also check if you take phenothiazines (older antipsychotics) — there's a theoretical concern about seizure risk, though it hasn't been proven.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFormula with limited ingredient disclosure with no assessable stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Black currant as a food is well tolerated, but concentrated supplements haven't been studied enough to confirm they work for specific conditions. If you take blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs, or older antipsychotics (phenothiazines), you'll want to check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Run your exact medications through the checker on this page before you start.

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 Sep 25, 2015.

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 Black Currant, straight from the product label.

Brand Herbs Etc.
Net contents 8 fl. Oz.; 236 mL
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Sep 25, 2015
DSLD ID 50404
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Liquid
Dietary claims / uses No Claim
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years)
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 Black Currant by Herbs Etc., 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:
0 Not Present
Maximum serving Sizes:
0 Not Present
IngredientAmount% DV
fresh Black Currant0 NP--

Other ingredients: 40% Grain Alcohol, purified Water

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.
General Statements

Herbal Single

Professional strength

Fresh leaf extract

For dispensing purposes only

Formula

Ribes Nigrum

FDA Statement of Identity

Fast-Acting Dietary Supplement

General

99017

See for yourself

Black Currant by Herbs Etc. label

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

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Black Currant by Herbs Etc.

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

Serving size0 Not Present Dosage formLiquid Amounts shown are per serving.

Fresh Black Currant

Interacts with
140 drugs
0 NP per serving

Black currant is a nutritious berry that is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, and its seed oil contains the omega-6 fatty acid GLA. While it is enjo...

Fresh Black Currant monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: 40% Grain Alcohol, Purified Water. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Black Currant by Herbs Etc. Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Black Currant?

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
140Drugs
140 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Black Currant 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.

fresh Black Currant2 drug types · 140 drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, black currant seed oil might increase the risk of bleeding if used in combination with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a constituent of black currant seed oil, appears to have antiplatelet effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Phenothiazines

Theoretically, black currant seed oil might increase the risk of seizure in patients receiving phenothiazines.
Black currant seed oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). There is some concern that taking supplements containing GLA might cause seizures, or lower the seizure threshold, when taken with phenothiazines, although there is no evidence that black currant seed oil causes seizures. In one report, three patients with schizophrenia who had received phenothiazines developed EEG changes suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy after starting treatment with GLA, although none experienced an actual seizure. In another report, two patients with schizophrenia who were stabilized on phenothiazines developed seizures when evening primrose 4 grams daily, which contains GLA, was added. One of these patients had a prior history of seizures.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Black Currant, from the product label.

Herbs Etc.

Name
Herbs, Etc.
Street Address
1340 Rufina Circle
City
Santa Fe
State
NM
ZipCode
87507
Web Address
www.herbsetc.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Black Currant by Herbs Etc.: Common Questions

Does Black Currant by Herbs Etc. interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Black Currant has a known interaction with 140 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Black Currant 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.
What is fresh black currant used for?
Black currant has been studied for Alzheimer disease, liver disease, upper respiratory infections, cough, and eczema, but the evidence we hold isn't strong enough to say it works for any of these. It's nutritious as a food, but supplements are less researched.
Is black currant safe to take as a supplement?
The berry is safe as food, but concentrated supplements are less studied. A small number of people taking it at higher doses reported mild diarrhea within 2–10 days. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or take any medications.
What's in this liquid besides the black currant?
The product contains 40% grain alcohol and purified water as inactive ingredients to deliver the fresh black currant extract.
Can I take this with blood thinners like warfarin?
Black currant contains gamma-linolenic acid, which can thin the blood. Combined with anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs, it may increase your bleeding risk. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it.
Does this interact with antipsychotic medications?
If you take phenothiazines (older antipsychotics), there's a theoretical concern that black currant could lower your seizure threshold. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting this supplement.

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

Not sure if Black Currant 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.

Black Currant label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Black Currant'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 6 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.

Black Currant 6 references
  1. Guivernau M, Meza N, Barja P, Roman O. Clinical and experimental study on the long-term effect of dietary gamma-linolenic acid on plasma lipids, platelet aggregation, thromboxane formation, and prostacyclin production. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty A PubMed
  2. Fa-lin Z, Zhen-yu W, Yan H, et al. Efficacy of blackcurrant oil soft capsule, a Chinese herbal drug, in hyperlipidemia treatment. Phytother Res 2010;24 Suppl 2:S209-13. PubMed
  3. Holman CP and Bell AF. A trial of evening primrose oil in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia. J Orhtomolecular Psych 1983;12:302-304.
  4. Vaddadi KS. The use of gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid to differentiate between temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia. Prostaglandins Med 1981;6(4):375-379. PubMed
  5. Norred, C. L. and Brinker, F. Potential coagulation effects of preoperative complementary and alternative medicines. Alt Ther 2001;7(6):58-67.
  6. Puri BK. The safety of evening primrose oil in epilepsy. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 2007;77:101-3. PubMed

See these in context on the Black Currant 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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