The short answer
Glycyrrhiza glabra has not been shown to reduce acarbose absorption or effectiveness in the reviewed human evidence. A liver-enzyme interaction assumption does not establish loss of this intestinally acting drug’s benefit.
What this answer covers
Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract; glycyrrhizin-depleted trial product differs from ordinary high-glycyrrhizin licorice and other species.
- Supplement or preparation
- Glycyrrhiza glabra
- Medication ingredient
- acarbose
The human interaction study tested other drugs
A study of a standardized, glycyrrhizin-depleted G.glabra extract found no significant changes in overall exposure to four CYP probe drugs. It did not test acarbose.
Acarbose works locally
Little oral acarbose is absorbed as active drug; its intended action is in the intestine. CYP findings with other drugs cannot establish reduced acarbose absorption or clinical efficacy.
Licorice preparations cannot be merged
The trial used a chemically defined low-glycyrrhizin extract. It does not establish the safety of all licorice products, and the exact-pair evidence gap does not make a high-dose product harmless.
Review the actual product
Provide the product name, plant species and ingredient amount to the pharmacist or diabetes team. Continue the prescribed acarbose meal instructions; no licorice-specific protective gap or dose correction is established.
Evidence and practical considerations
Absorption & effectiveness
No exact acarbose absorption/efficacy reduction; different-drug CYP probe trial was null for AUC and used glycyrrhizin-depleted extract.
- Exact scope
- Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract; glycyrrhizin-depleted trial product differs from ordinary high-glycyrrhizin licorice and other species. with Oral acarbose RxCUI16681 IN; conventional tablets, local intestinal action.
- Medication form and route
- oral medication; oral supplement
What remains uncertain
- No arbitrary interval, systemic-exposure inference or unmeasured exact event rate.
Factors that may matter: Preparation; Meal timing; Dose; Other diabetes treatment.
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: current product label
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Patients prescribed oral acarbose
Local intestinal carbohydrate-digestion inhibition; less than2% absorbed as active drug. Alone should not cause hypoglycemia; insulin/sulfonylurea co-use can increase risk. Oral glucose, not sucrose, for appropriate mild-to-moderate lows. Charcoal adsorbents and carbohydrate-splitting enzymes may reduce effect and should not be taken concomitantly.
How this applies: Exact conventional oral acarbose; controlled-release combination products distinguished.
General warnings do not establish each botanical interaction or arbitrary timing gap. Low systemic absorption is expected, not proof of treatment failure.
Source 2: original human study
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 14healthy menopausal/postmenopausal women.
No significant probe-drug AUC changes; small changes in other kinetic parameters.
How this applies: Exact acarbose preparation and supplement identity/outcome boundaries retained.
No acarbose. Depleted-glycyrrhizin extract and CYP endpoints do not establish acarbose efficacy, absorption or safety of high-glycyrrhizin products.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Prepared exact acarbose article distinguishing local action, rescue sugar, formulation and original clinical findings. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: 7ce84461bc708be5
This guide brings together the evidence records used by our interaction checker. Each finding retains its own preparation limits, research date, and source summaries.
Full citations require verification. Reading this answer and the source summaries does not.
Taking other supplements or medications?
Use the checker to explore your other combinations. Ask a pharmacist to review the exact products, amounts and medical conditions in your complete list.
Open the interaction checkerInformation, not medical advice. Do not change prescribed treatment based on this guide.