Are supplements bad for your liver?

Date:

Share post:

Using data from a national registry, researchers found that herbal and dietary supplements were implicated in 18% of liver injury cases caused or suspected of being caused by drugs or supplements from 2003 to 2011.

Bodybuilding and weight loss supplements were by far the biggest offenders, linked to 34% and 26% of 93 cases studied, respectively, says researcher Victor J. Navarro, MD, a professor of medicine, pharmacology, and experimental therapeutics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Still, the study is not meant to scare people, Navarro says. Many supplements are beneficial to your health, he says, ticking off a long list that includes calcium and vitamin D supplements and multivitamins made by reputable companies.

Plus, the absolute risk of any one person developing supplement-associated liver injury may be very small, he says.

Drug-Linked Liver Injury a Major Problem

Liver damage from medication is one common reason that drugs are pulled off the market. And certain supplements have been linked to drug-associated liver injury, Navarro says.

About 40% of Americans take herbal and dietary supplements, which do not require a prescription and are not tightly regulated by the FDA. Yet there’s a lack of solid information about their side effects, including liver-related toxicities, Navarro says.

So the researchers turned to the National Institutes of Health-funded Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN). It’s a nationwide registry of people who experience liver injury within six months of using certain drugs or alternative-medicine herbal products and supplements. A majority were male, white, and overweight.

Researchers asked the people what supplements they were taking. Most still had the products at home and brought them in for testing to determine whether they actually contained what the labels said they did, among other factors.

People also underwent a battery of exams with the goal of better understanding supplement-associated liver ills.

Follow Us

1,000FansLike
1,000FollowersFollow
1,000FollowersFollow
spot_img

Related articles

How to beat a Restaurant Inspection

How to beat a Restaurant Inspection It can happen any time. It has happened to many restaurants. This is...

Stop your Stressing: The 4 Best Supplements for Stress & Anxiety

You know the clues: tight muscles, tension headaches, rapid thoughts, panic attacks, insomnia. Stress and anxiety are no...

HOW TO FOLLOW A RESTAURANT HEATING INSPECTION: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR?

How To Conduct A Restaurant Heating Inspection: What Should You Look Out For? Success in any Restaurant Heating Inspection...

Which is the best health insurance for travel nurses?

Many nurses who travel often struggle to find the appropriate insurance. Their profession makes it challenging for nurses...

Public Safety & Public Health Career Path

Public Safety or Public Health as a Career Path? Public safety and Public Health Career Path professionals share many...

Therapy to Remove Verbal and Emotional Abuse Treatment

Emotional abuse is a way to exert control over a relationship, including humiliation, bullying, intimidation and isolation. If...

Public Safety vs. Public Health Career Path

Public Safety Vs. Public Health Career Path? Public safety and Public Health Career Path professionals share many characteristics. They...

Things You Need To Know Before You Get CoolSculpting

No matter which strategy you employ, it seems as if no matter how hard you try you can't...

What does a life coach do?

Two essential elements of life coaching work are conversations and questions. These inquiries help the coach uncover the...

Erectile Dysfunction The Possible Causes

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an illness that restricts sexual activity and results in incontinence. While ED may occur...

Tooth Implants issues and complications Implants

Implants can pose both advantages and challenges. Tooth Implants plants have long been the go-to solution for replacing teeth...

Affordable Tooth Implants: Where Can You Find them?

Affordable Tooth Implants: Where Can You Find them? Tooth Implants are definitely one of the most expensive dental procedures....
error: Content is protected !!