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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Common herbal supplements taken by millions of Americans could be linked to deadly liver damage
Commonly-used herbal and dietary supplements taken by millions of Americans to stay healthy have been tied to a rising number of cases of liver damage and toxicity. Supplement-related liver failure that required U.S. patients to be put on a waitlist for a transplant increased by eight times the previous level from 1995 through 2020, according to a 2022 study in the journal Liver Transplantation. Another study found that 20 percent of liver toxicity cases around the country are linked to the supplements, according to research published in the journal Hepatology. The result of the damage can be life-threatening. Liver disease results in more than 50,000 deaths each year, according to federal health officials. The result of the drug-induced liver injury known as hepatotoxicity can be impaired liver function and liver failure. Cases of hepatotoxicity may be rare, but it remains unclear just how rare. Still, some 15 million Americans are using supplements containing ingredients that are potentially harmful to the liver. 'I think people assume these things are safe,' Dr. Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, a Jefferson Health hepatologist, told NBC News. 'The No. 1 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.' So, what are the offending supplements tied to these cases? You may regularly use them in cooking. Many patients take them with the aim of improving their health. The bright yellow spice turmeric is the most commonly consumed in the U.S., according to a study published last year in the journal JAMA Network Open. Black cohosh, red yeast rice, Garcinia cambogia, and green tea extract were also identified on a list compiled by researchers at the University of Michigan. 'When you cook with turmeric, that could be really safe. But some of the supplements now are 2,000 milligrams plus, which is a very high dose of turmeric,' Halegoua-De Marzio said, noting that adding black pepper could make the liver 'really sick.' Online, many of these supplements are promoted as more natural options than prescription medications. But, they are not subject to the same kind of testing and scrutiny as other drugs. That's not the only issue. Physicians say insufficient attention in medical screenings and mislabeling are two other problems to be aware of. 'We performed analytical chemistry and found about a 50 percent mismatch between stated ingredients on the label and what they actually contained, which is quite alarming,' Dr. Robert Fontana, a University of Michigan Medicine hepatologist, said in a statement. 'If you buy a supplement and it says it has a certain ingredient, it's basically a coin flip if that's true or not.' Fewer than 40 percent of patients willingly tell their doctors about the supplements they are taking, according to Kaiser Permanente primary care physician Dr. Crystal Xue. Without the guiding hand of doctors, people who take too much may not realize the risk. New Jersey's Robert Grafton told NBC News that if he hadn't been in the medical field, he might have taken more supplements to help him feel better. Instead, following a trip to the hospital, he found out he had a drug-induced liver injury after taking ashwagandha, turmeric pills, and other supplements. Some people are even genetically vulnerable to this kind of damage. Although, that's also true for prescription drugs. Symptoms of liver damage and toxicity can differ, but generally include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, urine changes, and jaundice. There are some 44,000 estimated cases of liver damage associated with the drugs each year, including 2,700 deaths. That number is likely an undercount. People can still take supplements, given they do so safely. However, given the lack of regulation in this area, researchers hope to raise awareness about the issue to try to prevent future deaths. 'We're not trying to create alarm,' Fontana said. 'We're just trying to increase awareness that the over-the-counter supplements people are taking and buying have not been tested nor necessarily proven to be safe,' he said.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The dietary supplements you think are improving your health may be damaging your liver, research warns
If you're like most Americans, you probably down a daily multivitamin or take turmeric pills from time to time. About 58% of U.S. adults 20 and older, including 64% of women and 51% of men, reported consuming a dietary supplement in the past 30 days, according to the 2017–18 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A 2024 poll from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a dietary supplement trade association, suggests usage is even higher, with 75% of U.S. adults 18 and older taking dietary supplements. Nearly all users in the CRN survey (91%) said supplements are essential to maintaining their health—which is why it's so troubling that supplement-spurred liver damage is skyrocketing. A 2022 study published in the journal Liver Transplantation found that drug-induced acute liver failure tied to herbal and dietary supplements had increased eightfold from 1995 through 2020. What's more, herbal and dietary supplements account for roughly 20% of liver toxicity cases nationwide, according to 2017 research published in the journal Hepatology. This doesn't mean you should immediately toss out your protein powder or vitamin D capsules. Dietary supplements can indeed help you meet your daily requirements of essential nutrients and improve or maintain your overall health, the Food and Drug Administration says. But they come with risks. Last year, researchers at the University of Michigan estimated that 15.6 million Americans consume products containing at least one of these six botanicals linked to liver damage: Turmeric Green tea Ashwagandha Garcinia cambogia Red yeast rice Black cohosh These supplements are taken for everything from allergies to menstrual cramps to weight loss. And that's not all the team uncovered. 'In a previous study, we found that there was a great deal of mislabeling of some of these products,' senior author Dr. Robert Fontana, a Michigan Medicine hepatologist, said in an August news release. 'We performed analytical chemistry and found about a 50% mismatch between stated ingredients on the label and what they actually contained, which is quite alarming. If you buy a supplement and it says it has a certain ingredient, it's basically a coin flip if that's true or not.' In addition, numerous studies have found supplements to be contaminated with toxic heavy metals. While the FDA regulates supplements, the agency doesn't review them for safety, quality, and effectiveness as it does with drug approvals. And though supplements are typically found in the pharmacy sections of both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, the FDA regulates them as food, not drugs. It's up to manufacturers to properly label their products, which the FDA reviews after they hit the market. The agency keeps a searchable database of warning letters it has sent to companies accused of problems such as false claims or poor manufacturing practices. The FDA also encourages consumers to report problems with dietary supplements. You may not feel you need to tell your health care provider you're taking something as mundane as vitamin C gummies, but there's a reason the FDA encourages it. Some supplements may negatively interact with certain medications you're taking, and your doctor can help determine which supplements safely suit your health goals. Don't fall for 'megadosing' trends that promise speedy or exaggerated results. While rare, it is possible to fatally overdose on dietary supplements. The Office of Dietary Supplements, part of the National Institutes of Health, has established daily upper limits (ULs) for safe consumption. For example, adults shouldn't consume more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D in a day. 'Supplements, in the U.S. at least, are not supposed to have more than the UL in any single dose,' Joanne Slavin, PhD, a professor in the food science and nutrition department at the University of Minnesota, previously told Fortune. 'But you could take 10 doses—we can't control that.' For more on dietary supplements: What's the scoop on protein powder? Nutrition experts share 3 things to know about the popular supplement The dark side of daily vitamin D supplements: After a man died from an 'overdose' in the U.K., experts explain how much is healthy The best time to take your supplements depends on these 2 factors, experts say 4 best supplements for an energy boost, according to experts Some protein powders contain cancer-causing toxins, new study shows, and these 3 types are the worst offenders This story was originally featured on
