5 Foods and Drinks to Avoid If You’re Taking Januvia

Januvia (sitagliptin) is a medicine that can treat Type 2 diabetes. It works by raising levels of helpful hormones that make it easier for your body to keep blood sugar in a healthy range. 

Unlike some medications, Januvia doesn’t interact with any foods or drinks. This means there isn’t anything you absolutely can’t eat or drink while taking Januvia. 

But there are foods and drinks that can keep Januvia from working at its best. Here are five foods and drinks you should limit while taking Januvia so you can get the best results while taking this medication. 

1. Refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates lack fiber and nutrients found in whole grains. Examples of refined carbohydrates include:

• While bread

• White rice

• White pasta

• Baked goods like cookies and cakes

• Crackers

Your body digests refined carbohydrates very quickly. This makes your blood sugar rise quickly. Januvia helps your body manage changes in blood sugar after you eat. But blood sugar spikes are more difficult to control than the slower increases that happen after you eat complex carbohydrates, like those in whole grains.

Limiting refined carbohydrates makes it easier for Januvia to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range after you eat and throughout the day. 

2. Sugary drinks

It’s a good idea to avoid drinks that are high in sugar because they can raise your blood glucose. This makes it harder for Januvia to keep your blood sugar within a target range. 

Examples of sugary drinks include:

• Soda

• Energy drinks

• Sweetened iced tea

• Fruit juice

• Sports drinks

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Experts recommend limiting your added sugar intake to 25 g to 36 g each day, but most people eat 2 to 3 times more than that. 

You don’t have to cut out sugar entirely to get the best results from Januvia. But it’s a good idea to stick to the recommended limits. You can check for added sugar in drinks by reading the nutrition labels on the packaging. 

3. High-glycemic vegetables

A healthy diet should be rich in whole fruits and vegetables. But not all vegetables affect your blood sugar the same way. Some vegetables have a high glycemic index, which means they raise your blood sugar fast. These include starchy vegetables like:

• Potatoes

• Peas

• Yams

• Sweet potatoes

You want to avoid blood sugar spikes to help Januvia work as effectively as possible. This doesn’t mean you have to cut out starchy vegetables completely. But enjoy them in moderation and choose low-glycemic vegetables when possible. 

4. Alcohol

There’s no amount of alcohol that’s safe for your health. And that’s especially true when you’re taking Januvia. 

Januvia can trigger hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This is rare. But if you have diabetes, alcohol increases your risk of hypoglycemia. You can lower your risk by not mixing Januvia and alcohol. 

You don’t need to avoid alcohol completely, but you should limit your intake, eat food while drinking, and avoid sugary mixed drinks.

5. Garlic supplements

Garlic is a vegetable used to flavor many dishes. It has many potential health benefits and can help lower your blood sugar. This can be a good thing if you have diabetes. But too much garlic can also increase your risk of hypoglycemia. 

You have to eat a lot of garlic to trigger hypoglycemia. And most people won’t eat that much in one sitting. So, it’s safe to keep eating your favorite garlicky foods. 

But it’s easy to get too much garlic from concentrated products like garlic supplements. Avoid garlic supplements and other concentrated forms of garlic if you’re taking Januvia.

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Written by:

Jonathan Santana, DO

Jonathan Santana, DO, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatrician, with board certification in primary-care sports medicine. He has been in academic practice for 8 years as an assistant professor in orthopedics.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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