The most commonly used herbal and dietary supplements consumed by millions of Americans to maintain liver health have been associated with an increasing rate of liver damage and toxicity.
Research conducted in 2022 in the journal Liver Transplantation revealed that supplement-related liver failure which caused U.S. patients to be put on a waitlist for a transplant spiked by eight times the previous level from 1995 through 2020.
Federal health officials stated that the liver disease results can be fatal, and it may cause 50,000 deaths every year.
Hepatotoxicity causes 5,000 deaths every year
Drug-induced liver damage, also known as hepatotoxicity, can be fatal and may cause 50,000 deaths every year in the U.S, yet many residents are still unaware of the risks associated with the common supplements.
Up to 15 million Americans consume liver-harming supplements such as turmeric, red yeast rice, and green tea extract.
In a conversation with NBC News, Dr. Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, a Jefferson Health hepatologist stated, “I think people assume these things are safe. 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.”
Research found that nearly 50% of supplements have ingredients that are not even labelled. Less than 40% of users inform their doctors that they are consuming these pills, further raising the risks.
Liver damage symptoms include fatigue, fever, nausea, and abdominal pain. There are a projected 44,000 liver injury cases annually associated with drugs and supplements, including up to 2,700 deaths.
Experts highlighted the significance of safe use and stressed the need for awareness campaigns to prevent harm.
