Supplements taken by millions linked to deadly liver disease as victims share warning to others

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A New Jersey father-of-five is warning people not to take herbal supplements after he was left fighting for his life due to a liver injury that he believes was caused by the remedy.
Robert Grafton, 54, had been taking multiple natural supplements in an effort to improve his health, including one with turmeric in it.
In early March, the former radiology technologist added something new to his regimen - a turmeric-based liquid supplement. He had seen it advertised for improving liver health on social media.
However, a week later, Grafton noticed his urine had turned dark, he felt nauseous, lost his appetite and was constantly itchy.
Believing his deteriorating health was tied to the supplements, he stopped consuming them and went to the hospital out of fear that he was suffering from liver failure.
Testing revealed he had a drug-induced liver injury, or DILI, which caused damage to his liver due because of his excessive turmeric consumption.
A DILI is often caused by any kind of medication or supplement that claims to promote muscle growth or reduce stress. These types of supplements often contain similar ingredients that can harm the liver when consumed in excess.
Grafton told NBC: 'My liver enzymes were super elevated, my bilirubin (a yellowish pigment produced after red blood cell breakdown) was really high - all the signs of liver failure.
'I pretty much broke down, my wife as well. I was, at that point, thinking it was liver cancer, pancreatic cancer or something.
'It turns out I had something called a drug-induced liver injury, which came from my supplements.'
The liver is responsible for numerous bodily functions, including filtering blood, processing nutrients and detoxifying the body of harmful substances, such as alcohol and drugs.
It is also responsible for providing support to the immune system, clotting blood and producing bile, a fluid that helps digest fats and absorb nutrients.
However, sometimes an excessive consumption of ultra-concentrated supplements, whether they are of natural ingredients or those chemically made, can cause an injury if the liver isn't able to effectively filter them out of the body, causing them to build up in toxic amounts.
Dr Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, a hepatologist who treated Grafton told NBC: 'I think people assume these things are safe.
'The Number one reason we see people taking these are for good health or to supplement their health and so I don't think that they realize that there is a real risk here.'
She noted that even though Grafton had stopped taking supplements after noticing he was sick, a turmeric overload had already occurred in his body and caused an injury.
Grafton was taking turmeric pills that contained 2,250 milligrams of curcumin, a substance that comes from the root of the turmeric plant and black pepper extract.
While it remains unclear which turmeric-filled supplement Grafton took, an average turmeric and curcumin supplement tablet brought at common convenience stores contains 500mgs of the spice.
Experts claim a daily consumption of less than 2,000mgs of turmeric through supplements is considered safe.
Dr Halegoua-De Marzio said: 'When you cook with turmeric, that could be really safe. But some of the supplements now are 2,000mgs plus, which is a very high dose of turmeric.
'Coupled with black pepper, the liver now has to break down that supplement and it can't. It could make it really sick.'
Numerous studies have shown turmeric can improve liver health by decreasing inflammation, reducing the accumulation of fat and detoxifying the organ.
However, other studies suggest natural supplements made with turmeric can also cause serious liver injury.
A 2010 peer-reviewed study showed over 40,000 Americans report liver damage due to medications and supplements annually - out of which over 2,000 end up dying because of the severity of their condition.
But despite scientific evidence, herbal supplements continue to become more popular.
A 2024 JAMA Network study found that turmeric is the most commonly consumed supplement in the US, followed by green tea extract, ashwagandha, Garcinia cambogia, red yeast rice and black cohosh.
The researchers found 15.6million Americans take supplements containing at least one of these six botanicals - mostly without a doctor's advice.
The Food and Drug Administration considers herbal supplements as dietary supplements and does not regulate, oversee or approve them.
Therefore, it is impossible for consumers to know whether they re actually consuming what is advertised or if it is safe.
Grafton is not the only person to suffer from DILI or serious liver damage due to a supplement.
In April 2025, Jenny Ramirez, experienced liver failure due to a typically innocuous ingredient called methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which is in common over-the-counter vitamins that claim to improve hair, skin and nail health.
Research has found MSM to be generally benign and even protective against liver damage.
Some scientists have said, however, that MSM could exacerbate liver damage in people with pre-existing liver disease, though research and data are limited.
Still, Ramirez became jaundiced, with yellowing skin and eyes. She also had to undergo surgery to remove her gallbladder because of hard deposits that had built up there, blocking the flow of bile through the liver and gallbladder.
And in 2023, a 45-year-old woman was found to be suffering from herbal supplement-induced liver injury after she complained of gastric pain and nausea from consuming an herbal tea for three days to improve immunity.
Responding doctors noted she showed no signs of jaundice, had a non-tender abdomen and showed signs of liver infection such as Hepatitis A.
But after a series of tests and exams, they found that the presence of reishi mushroom, aloe vera and Siberian ginseng - all natural herbs - had caused her pain.
As for Grafton, after finding out he had a liver injury, Grafton said his blood work had returned to normal within weeks of ceasing the supplements.
Additional testing revealed no permanent damage to his liver.
He said: 'The whole push with that is that you're getting a super-high, concentrated dose of turmeric and dandelion root and milk thistle, which I have always known from my medical past is good for liver health.
'It all sounded good, I thought I did enough digging.'