Over-the-counter supplements are not regulated by the FDA, and many seemingly innocent products can cause serious liver damage. “Surprising as it may seem, manufacturers are not required to demonstrate to the Food and Drug Administration that their products are safe or effective for their advertised use before they are sold.” says Chuck Bell, director of programs for Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. “The rising number of cases of liver injury is further evidence that lax regulation of supplements is putting consumers at risk.” Here are five products the experts want you to avoid. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
Doctors warn that bodybuilding supplements containing anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) can cause serious liver damage. “AAS-containing bodybuilding supplements can cause liver damage, including severe cholestatic hepatitis, which can take months to resolve.” says Robert Fontana, MD, medical director of liver transplantation at the University of Michigan. “In addition, various multi-ingredient nutritional supplements taken to increase energy, enhance performance and facilitate weight loss can cause potentially serious or even fatal liver damage.”
Green tea supplements can cause liver damage, experts say. “If you’re drinking modest amounts of green tea, you’re pretty safe,” says Professor Herbert Bonkovsky, director of liver services at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, who has been tracking green tea supplement-related injuries for almost 20 years. “The greatest risk is in people who take these more concentrated extracts…Typically, people take these green tea extracts trying to lose weight, so they often don’t eat. We know from animal studies that Fasted animals absorb a much higher percentage of catechins than fat animals. There may well be other factors from other drugs, other chemicals, alcohol use that are also important as modifying factors.”
Too much vitamin A can lead to liver damage and blood clots. “Basically, there are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble,” says Dawn Gerber, PharmD. “Although your body can excrete large amounts of water-soluble vitamins, it retains fat-soluble vitamins, which can be toxic at high levels.”
Some weight-loss supplements have been shown to cause liver inflammation, doctors warn. “The Food and Drug Administration says that many diet pills aren’t even legal, even those that can be found on store shelves. Many diet pill products may be tainted, contaminated, or stimulated by contact, which can cause significant health problems or death. says Gloria Verret BSN, CPN, RNIII. “FDA experts tested some of the diet products and found that 70 percent of them were contaminated with controlled substances, seizure medications, prescription drugs, and drugs not approved in the US.”
Red yeast rice supplement has the potential to cause liver damage, according to experts. In one case, a 64-year-old woman developed liver damage after taking 1,200 mg per day of red yeast rice supplements as an alternative to statins. “As this case demonstrates, red yeast rice supplementation has the potential to cause serious adverse effects, including acute liver injury.” researchers warn. “Supplements are not necessarily safer than prescription drugs, and physicians and patients should investigate their adverse effect profile before using or approving their use.”
Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health, and wellness writer who is passionate about making information backed by science and research accessible to a general audience. read more
