Millions of Americans are at risk of liver damage from taking unregulated herbal supplements

At least 15 million Americans are at high risk of regularly consuming unregulated herbal remedies that are packed with harmful ingredients, according to a new study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open. Most adults consume an herbal product that can severely damage their liver in as little as 30 days.

Of these products, 4.7 percent of respondents reported having consumed them without regulation:

“Given the lack of regulatory oversight over the manufacturing and testing of botanical products, physicians should be aware of potential adverse events resulting from the consumption of these largely unregulated products,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

How do herbal supplements harm the liver?

According to the research, which surveyed nearly 10,000 adults between 2017 and 2020, turmeric was the most popular with 3.46 percent of people consuming it, followed by green tea at 1.01 percent, ashwagandha and black cohosh at 0.38 percent each. garcinia cambogia with 0.27 percent and red yeast rice products with 0.19 percent.

The article notes that while most dietary and herbal supplements are considered healthy, high doses can be extremely harmful. Furthermore, some of the products listed even had discrepancies between their ingredient list and what they were actually found to contain, the authors said.

“The Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN), a U.S. multicenter observational program that collects and analyzes data on patients with hepatotoxic effects attributed to various drugs and HDS products, found that the proportion of DILI cases due to HDS nearly tripled, from 7 percent in 2004 to 2005 to 20 percent in 2013 to 2014,” the researchers wrote. “The botanicals most commonly implicated in DILIN include turmeric, kratom, green tea extract, and Garcinia cambogiawith potentially serious and even fatal liver damage.”

According to statistics, supplement sales in the United States exceeded $150 billion last year.

The researchers also described how turmeric, known to be an antioxidant, was consumed to help joint health and arthritis, while green tea was consumed in large amounts to help energy levels. “Multiple randomized clinical trials have failed to demonstrate any efficacy of turmeric-containing products in osteoarthritis,” they wrote in the paper. “Multiple studies have failed to demonstrate any objective evidence of weight loss and sustained improvement in mood or energy levels with products containing high levels of catechins or polyphenols found in green tea extract.”

Experts say that one of the main functions of the liver is to act as a toxin filter. However, regular intake of unregulated medications and supplements forms toxic metabolites that damage liver cells and the liver becomes so damaged that it cannot function.

Over time, it causes scarring, known as cirrhosis, which eventually leads to liver failure, a potentially life-threatening condition.

How to keep your liver healthy?

According to experts, it is always important to talk to your doctor about herbal remedies before starting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the ingredients. Knowing what you are taking will help your doctor recognize side effects.

Also, always research what you are purchasing by reading the back of the bottle to see what is inside the supplement.