Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar Considerations
Documented and possible cautions when adaptogen herbs meet blood pressure or diabetes medicines, covering licorice, ginseng, eleuthero, rhodiola and ashwagandha, with evidence labels.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Short answer. Some plants sold as adaptogens can raise blood pressure, lower blood potassium or lower blood sugar, according to the sources below. If you take medicine for blood pressure or diabetes, ask your pharmacist or prescriber before adding any of them. Never change a prescribed medicine on your own.
"Adaptogen" is a contested term from Soviet-era research and is not a regulatory category. The plants differ a great deal, so each is treated separately here. Information only.
Blood pressure and potassium
| Plant | What the source found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra and related species; root) | NCCIH: glycyrrhizin can cause serious effects such as irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest, especially in large amounts or long term. [1] Even small amounts have been linked to severe effects in people with hypertension. [1] | Agency summary; case reports |
| Licorice | Memorial Sloan Kettering: licorice causes hypertension and may reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medicine, and may lower blood potassium. [2] It says chronic intake of even moderate amounts has been associated with hypertension and low potassium. [2] | Reports and reviews |
| Licorice with diuretics | Licorice may increase the risk of low potassium (hypokalemia). [2] | Reported |
| Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) | NCCIH: interactions with losartan, a blood pressure drug, have been reported. [3] | Reported interaction |
| Rhodiola | MSK describes monoamine oxidase inhibition that may increase low-blood-pressure side effects of blood pressure medicine, and says clinical relevance is yet to be determined. [4] | Theoretical or preclinical |
| Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) | LactMed says it may increase blood pressure. [5] It adds that it is not related to true ginseng, and that no good human evidence supports the uses it lists, which include being used as an adaptogen. [5] | Database summary |
| Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) | NCCIH: there is evidence it might interact with medicines for diabetes and high blood pressure. [6] | Agency summary |
Many "licorice" products sold in the United States do not contain actual licorice, according to NCCIH. [1] NCCIH also says oral licorice without glycyrrhizin (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) might be safe for up to 4 months. [1] Reading the label for which kind is in a product matters. See licorice root.
NCCIH also reports interactions between licorice and corticosteroids. [1]
Blood sugar
| Plant | What the source found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng, root) | NCCIH: some evidence suggests it might lower blood sugar; people with diabetes should consult a provider. [7] | Agency summary |
| Ginseng (genus Panax) | A meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials found ginseng significantly reduced fasting blood glucose compared with control. [8] | Systematic review of trials |
| Asian ginseng for blood sugar control in diabetes | NCCIH calls the research overall inconclusive and conflicting. [7] | Mixed |
| Eleuthero | LactMed says it may increase blood sugar. [5] | Database summary |
| Ashwagandha | Possible interaction with diabetes medicines (NCCIH). [6] | Agency summary |
A lowering effect on blood sugar is not automatically good news for someone already taking diabetes medicine, because the two effects could add up. The sources we read raise this as a reason to ask, not as a measured size of risk. For the specific numbers in each trial, see ginseng, blood sugar and blood thinners and eleuthero cautions.
Frequently asked questions
Does licorice raise blood pressure?
Memorial Sloan Kettering says licorice causes hypertension and may reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medicine. [2] NCCIH says even small amounts of glycyrrhizin have been linked to severe effects in people with hypertension. [1]
Does ginseng lower blood sugar?
Some evidence suggests Asian ginseng might lower blood sugar, but NCCIH calls the research on blood sugar control in diabetes inconclusive and conflicting. [7] A meta-analysis of 16 trials found a reduction in fasting glucose. [8]
Is rhodiola safe with blood pressure medicine?
NCCIH says interactions with losartan have been reported. [3] Ask a pharmacist.
Can I take eleuthero if I have high blood pressure?
LactMed says eleuthero may increase blood pressure. [5] Ask the prescriber.
Should I stop my blood pressure or diabetes medicine if I use an adaptogen?
No source we read says to. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own; ask the prescriber or pharmacist.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Limits and uncertainty
- The sources describe plants and extracts, and results for one do not transfer to another. Ginseng, eleuthero and "Indian ginseng" (ashwagandha) are different plants.
- Several interactions above are reported or theoretical. The Memorial Sloan Kettering rhodiola entries say clinical relevance is yet to be determined. [4]
- Proper evidence not found for safe combined use of adaptogens with named blood pressure or diabetes medicines. We checked NCCIH and Memorial Sloan Kettering herb pages, LactMed and PubMed meta-analyses.
Who should ask first
References
- NCCIH. Licorice Root: Usefulness and Safety. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Licorice (About Herbs). Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH. Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated April 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Rhodiola (About Herbs). Read 2026-10-23.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Eleuthero, 2006 entry as indexed in PubMed. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH. Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated March 2023. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH. Asian Ginseng: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated February 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- The effect of ginseng (the genus Panax) on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. 2014. Read 2026-10-23.