A complete safety, timing, and dosage guide for combining PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) (cellular health) with St. John's Wort — including how the two supplements interact, the best time of day to take each, and which populations should be careful.
Yes, you can take St. John's Wort and PQQ together safely — no significant interaction.
St. John's Wort and PQQ together are safe to combine. The two supplements do not affect each other's absorption or metabolism, and PQQ does not interact with the liver enzymes that St. John's Wort influences. You can add PQQ to your routine without changing your St. John's Wort dose.
St. John's Wort is a well-known inducer of cytochrome P450 enzymes, particularly CYP3A4, CYP2C9, and CYP1A2, as well as the drug transporter P-glycoprotein. This induction can speed up the breakdown of many medications, which is why St. John's Wort has so many drug interactions. PQQ, however, is a redox cofactor that participates in cellular energy metabolism and is not a known substrate for these same liver enzymes or transport proteins. PQQ is also water-soluble and does not rely on CYP-mediated metabolism for clearance to any appreciable degree. There is no shared receptor, transport, or metabolic pathway where these two molecules would compete or interfere, so their combined use is pharmacologically neutral.
There is no bad time to take St. John's Wort and PQQ together. Since both are generally well-tolerated, you can take them simultaneously in the morning with breakfast. If you are sensitive to St. John's Wort's stimulating effect, take it in the morning and move PQQ to the afternoon. Keep your St. John's Wort dose stable, and if you miss a dose of either, simply resume at your next scheduled time without doubling. You may take PQQ with or without food depending on your stomach sensitivity, but a light meal will help reduce any potential nausea.
St. John's Wort extracts are typically standardized to hypericin or hyperforin, and higher hyperforin content is associated with stronger CYP3A4 induction. However, even the most potent St. John's Wort form does not change the fact that PQQ bypasses those pathways. PQQ is sold as the disodium salt or free acid, but the form does not alter the lack of interaction with St. John's Wort. Regardless of which standardized extract or PQQ salt you choose, the relationship remains safe and non-interfering.
Yes, you can take them at the same time. Based on what we know about how each works, they do not compete for absorption or interact in the liver. I take mine together with breakfast and have no issues.
Yes, it is safe for most people to combine both every day. St. John's Wort is typically taken long-term, and PQQ is also fine to use daily. Just monitor your energy and mood, and keep your medication list in mind.
You do not need to wait at all. I take them at the same meal without any problems. If you prefer to separate them for your own comfort, a few hours is fine but by no means necessary.
No, they do not appear to compete for absorption. St. John's Wort is absorbed through the gut and then acts on liver enzymes, while PQQ uses different absorption pathways. Taking them together does not reduce the effectiveness of either one.
People taking medications that interact with St. John's Wort should avoid it unless their doctor approves. This includes many antidepressants, birth control pills, anticoagulants, and some antirejection drugs. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid St. John's Wort entirely.
You can take St. John's Wort on an empty stomach, but I find taking it with food reduces any nausea. PQQ is best taken with food if you have a sensitive stomach. Since there is no interaction, I take both with breakfast.
Reviewed by Caroline M. on April 11, 2025 for accuracy against the sources listed above. This page is educational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
The matrix has 86 supplements and 7310 pairwise interactions. Click any cell to see the full breakdown.