Although herbs and plants have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, they have recently become more popular as its benefits are continuously touted on social media platforms. There are increasing information on the benefits of taking herbal supplements like ashwagandha, turmeric, and green tea.
Researchers have said that while herbal supplements may be considered “natural,” they are not inherently safe.
They claim people can experience side effects with herbal supplements and certain herbs can interfere with medications they are currently taking.
Herbal supplements that may cause liver problems are said to include:
- ashwagandha
- black cohoshTrusted Source
- Garcinia cambogiaTrusted Source
- green tea extract
- red yeast rice
- turmeric or curcumin
“Potentially hepatotoxic botanical products are the products that contain plant-based ingredients which have been implicated as potential causes of liver damage,” says Alisa Likhitsup, MD, MPH, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Michigan. She was the lead author of a study published in Medical News Today.
“How these products cause liver damage is not yet known but it is likely due to metabolism that occurs in the liver after the products were consumed,” she said.
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“As a practicing hepatologist, I have seen patients who had liver injury from taking dietary supplements and some were fatal which required emergency liver transplant,” she explained.
“They are completely unregulated [before going to market] so my reaction is that I am not surprised that they can pose significant health risks, particularly for the liver because they are thought to interfere with the liver’s ability to process and detoxify harmful substances,” Ligresti continued.
“This can lead to a buildup of toxins in the liver, which can cause inflammation, cell death, and in some severe cases, liver failure.”
Ligresti said that every physician should be talking with their patients about the risks of these types of products and asking if they are taking any of them.
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