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Dietary supplement

Black Currant Oil 500 mg Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by NOW

Softgel Capsule Category: Fat/fatty Acid
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Black Currant Oil 500 mg is a dietary supplement by NOW 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 Black Currant Oil. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

Computed from our clinical databases

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW

Four independent checks of what is known — a summary of the available information, not a grade of the product itself.

Evidence for Intended Use
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

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our evidence database, so intended use can't be graded.

Why this rating?
  • None of the active ingredients could be matched to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so intended use can't be graded against our evidence data.
Ingredient Transparency
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 2 of its 2 active ingredients.
  • “Black Currant Oil” is listed as a grouped ingredient — the label gives one combined amount (500 mg) without saying how much of each component you get.
Known Interaction Concern
Not assessable

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our interaction database.

Why this rating?
  • We couldn't match any ingredient to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so there was nothing to check interactions against.
Safety Information
Unable to assess

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our safety data.

Why this rating?
  • We couldn't match any ingredient to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so there was no safety data to measure.

HelloPharmacist summaryFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Medication interactions could not be assessed, and safety information could not be assessed.

Assessment coverage: 0 of 2 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jun 23, 2017.

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 Oil 500 mg, straight from the product label.

Brand NOW
Barcode (UPC) 733739017154
Net contents 100 Softgel(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jun 23, 2017
DSLD ID 74181
Product type Fat/fatty Acid
Supplement form Softgel Capsule
Dietary claims / uses Nutrient, All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Kosher, 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 Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW, 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 Softgel(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Softgel(s)
UPC/BARCODE
733739017154
IngredientAmount% DV
Calories5 Calorie(s)--
Total Fat0.5 Gram(s)1%
Gamma-Linolenic Acid70 mg--
Alpha-Linolenic Acid52 mg--
Black Currant Oil500 mg--

Other ingredients: Softgel 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.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested Usage: Take 1 softgel 3 times daily with food.

Formula

Black Currant Oil is extracted from Black Currant Seeds to produce a valuable nutritional oil with 14% GLA.

70 mg GLA

Triangle K

Contains gelatin

General Statements

The Omega-3, Alpha Linolenic Acid and the Omega-6, Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), are both considered essential fatty acids. Although the body can manufacture GLA from other dietary Omega-6 fatty acids, GLA can be more efficiently utilized for body functions when supplied directly through dietary sources.

Natural color variation may occur in this product.

Softgel size

Essential fatty acids

Nutritional Oils Family owned since 1968.

Please recycle.

Precautions

Caution: For adults only.

Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.

Keep out of reach of children.

Do not eat freshness packet. Keep in bottle.

Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, milk, egg, fish or shellfish ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.

General

CODE 1715 V5

Seals/Symbols

Non-GMO

Triangle K

GMP Quality Assured

Formulation

Non-GMO

Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, milk, egg, fish or shellfish ingredients.

FDA Statement of Identity

A Dietary Supplement

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place after opening.

See for yourself

Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW label

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

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW

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

Serving size1 Softgel(s) Dosage formSoftgel Capsule Amounts shown are per serving.

Black Currant Oil

Interacts with
140 drugs
500 mg 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...

Black Currant Oil monograph & interactions
  • › Gamma-Linolenic Acid
  • › Alpha-Linolenic Acid

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

Interaction report

Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW Drug Interactions

Black Currant Oil 500 mg contains a single active ingredient, and it has known interactions with 140 medications. Here’s the picture, then you can look up your own drug.

Want to check YOUR meds against Black Currant Oil 500 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
140Drugs
140 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Black Currant Oil 500 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.

Black Currant Oil2 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 Oil 500 mg, from the product label.

NOW

See all NOW products
Name
NOW Foods
Street Address
395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd.
City
Bloomingdale
State
IL
ZipCode
60108
Web Address
nowfoods.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW: Common Questions

Does Black Currant Oil 500 mg by NOW interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Black Currant Oil 500 mg 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 Oil 500 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.

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

Not sure if Black Currant Oil 500 mg is safe with your meds?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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 Oil 500 mg label
Go deeper

The Full Monographs Behind Black Currant Oil 500 mg’s Ingredients

Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.

Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Black Currant Oil 500 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 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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