Liver damage can be acute or build up over time with repeated use, the latter being what typically happens with botanicals. \u201cSome substances, including supplements, can cause liver injury in unpredictable ways, and it\u2019s not always dependent on how much you\u2019re taking,\u201d Jesudian says. Damage can range from inflammation in the liver to liver failure requiring emergency liver transplant, he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the main ingredient in a supplement that can cause damage. Supplements can be toxic to the liver (hepatotoxic) because they are contaminated with things not listed on the label, such as medications, molds and heavy metals. \ufeff<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a huge concern: Earlier research published in Hepatology Communications analyzing 272 dietary supplements found that 51 percent were mislabeled, meaning their contents did not match their labels. That makes it more difficult to understand exactly what is causing liver toxicity. All of that is made more complex by how supplements are handled in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Dietary supplements<\/a> are not regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration the way prescription and over-the-counter medications are. According to the FDA, supplement manufacturers and distributors are responsible for ensuring that what\u2019s in the bottle is safe and accurately labeled. If there is evidence that it\u2019s not, the FDA can step in to issue warnings and take other actions against a mislabeled or potentially dangerous supplement. But this happens after it\u2019s on the market \u2014 not before. \ufeff<\/p>\n Traditional herbal blends can become even more complicated because they often contain multiple active compounds, concentrated extracts or ingredients that may not always match the product label, Planells says. \u201cIn some cases, contamination with heavy metals, pesticides or undeclared pharmaceutical agents has also been identified,\u201d he adds. Many people take several supplements at once, further complicating the issue. \u201cThis is why it becomes increasingly important for individuals to discuss all supplements and herbal products they consume with their health\ufeff care team,\u201d Planells says.<\/p>\n Tips for staying safe with supplements<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to take a supplement, there are some steps you can take to help keep you safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Research. Doing some research is a key first step \u2014 just be sure you\u2019re using a trusted source. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults often use social media as a source of health information, and unfortunately, information found there is often misguided or incorrect. One resource to check out when researching supplements is the LiverTox database<\/a> from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The website provides information on medications and supplements and their effects on the liver. But your research shouldn\u2019t stop there, which brings us to step number two\u2026<\/p>\n 2. Talk to your provider. This is, by far, the most important thing you can do. \u201cDiscuss a supplement that you\u2019re thinking of taking with your doctor before you start taking it, particularly if you have any type of liver condition,\u201d Jesudian says. If you are already taking a supplement, bring the bottle to your provider\u2019s office to show them, and ask what they think, if it\u2019s safe, and if it offers added value for your health. \u201cIf there is no benefit, there is no sense in adding risk,\u201d Rockey says. The authors of the 2024 JAMA Network Open study note that \u201cthe vast majority of at-risk botanical users\u201d took the supplements without consulting a health care provider.<\/p>\n 3. Be careful with herbals. Rockey tells patients that supplements like vitamins or minerals (or multivitamins) are generally safe, though you should still purchase these from reputable brands. \u201cWhen you start buying herbals, especially online and taking them in high concentrations, you have to be careful,\u201d he says. That\u2019s especially true when a product contains multiple botanical ingredients, making it tough to know exactly what you\u2019re getting in the mix or how they will affect you.<\/p>\n 4. Look for third-party testing. Research suggests there are 80,000 herbal and dietary supplements<\/a> on the market. With concerns about contamination and mislabeling, choose a product with independent, third-party testing from organizations like the NSF<\/a> or USP<\/a>. The certification helps ensure that what\u2019s on the label matches what\u2019s in the bottle and that there are no additional hidden ingredients in the formula.<\/p>\n 5. Skip liver supplements entirely. Some herbal supplements are marketed for liver health or liver detox. \u201cThere is no evidence that any supplement is \u2018good\u2019 for your liver. The best thing for your liver is a healthy diet and lifestyle,\u201d Rockey says. At the very least, these are a waste of money, he adds.<\/p>\n 6. Get regular blood work. If you\u2019re getting blood work to assess your health, make sure that it includes a liver function test. If this test shows elevated liver enzymes and there is a concern for liver damage due to a supplement you\u2019re taking, you should stop taking that supplement, says Dr. Alisa Likhitsup, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Health and lead author of the JAMA Network Open study.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Liver damage can be acute or build up over time with repeated use, the latter being what typically…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":810717,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,3169,84,82862,14583,395,7340,284503],"class_list":["post-810716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-dietary-supplements","tag-health","tag-herbal-supplements","tag-liver-health","tag-nutrition","tag-supplements","tag-supplements-that-can-harm-liver"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=810716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=810716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=810716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=810716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}