ANNATTO Overview Information
Annatto is a plant. The seed and leaf are used to make medicine.
People take annatto for diabetes, diarrhea, fevers, fluid retention, heartburn, malaria, and hepatitis. They also use it as an antioxidant and bowel cleanser.
Annatto is sometimes put directly on the affected area to treat burns and vaginal infections and to repel insects.
In foods, annatto is used as a coloring agent.
How does it work?
There isn't enough information to know how annatto works.
ANNATTO Uses & Effectiveness 
Insufficient Evidence for:
- Diarrhea.
- Diabetes.
- Fevers.
- Fluid retention.
- Heartburn.
- Malaria.
- Hepatitis.
- Burns, when applied directly.
- Vaginal infections, when applied directly.
- As an insect repellent, when applied directly.
- Other conditions.
ANNATTO Side Effects & Safety
Annatto is safe for most people when used in food amounts. It is not known if annatto is safe for use as a medicine.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of annatto during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.Surgery: Annatto might affect blood sugar levels. This has raised some concern that it might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using annatto at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
ANNATTO Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with ANNATTO
Annatto might increase blood sugar. Diabetes medications are used to lower blood sugar. By increasing blood sugar, annatto might decrease the effectiveness of diabetes medications. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
ANNATTO Dosing
The appropriate dose of annatto depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for annatto. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
