Herbal Tea, the Liver and Kidneys

Read this first. NCCIH lists fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine and jaundice as liver damage symptoms (in its turmeric guidance). [1] If these appear after starting a new herbal tea or extract, contact a clinician and bring the product. See liver injury warning signs. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222, and 911 is for collapse, seizure or trouble breathing. [2]

Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own; ask the prescriber.

The liver: tea by tea

LiverTox (a US National Institutes of Health resource) summarizes the reports of liver injury for each product. Case reports show that harm can occur, not how often.

One case report describes acute liver failure and kidney impairment in a 52-year-old woman who drank a liter a day of senna fruit tea for more than 3 years. [17] A systematic review of herb-induced liver injury (446 papers, 936 cases, all herbal products, not only teas) found most patients recovered completely (82.8%), 6.6% needed transplant, and death was recorded in 10.4%. [18] See comfrey, coltsfoot and pyrrolizidine alkaloid teas.

If you already have liver disease, the EU licorice monograph does not recommend licorice for people with liver disorders. [19] LiverTox notes that up to 40% of liver clinic patients use supplements and most do not tell their primary care provider, so say so. [20]

The kidneys: tea by tea

More broadly, reviews say herbal products can harm kidneys through intrinsic toxicity, adulteration, contamination, misidentification, mislabeling and interactions, and that some can raise potassium in kidney damage. [26] The best-known herb-induced chronic kidney disease is aristolochic acid nephropathy. [27] A review of Chinese herbal medicine says the exact incidence of kidney injury from nephrotoxic herbal medicine is not known, and that clinicians should consider herbal medicine in unexplained acute kidney injury or progressive chronic kidney disease. [28] A kidney transplant recipient reached toxic levels of two transplant medicines after drinking a Chinese herbal tea. [29]

Proper evidence not found: a study of usual cup amounts of common herbal teas and kidney outcomes. We searched PubMed for herbal tea and kidney injury on 23 October 2026 and found liver and supplement papers instead. [30]

What a reader can do

Tell your kidney or liver clinician every tea and extract, and bring labels. See kidney disease and supplements and the quality guide.