Liver Safety & Supplements

What NIH says

Acute liver damage from dietary supplements is still rare, but more cases are being reported in the United States and elsewhere; it can be severe, require an emergency liver transplant, and is sometimes fatal. [1]

Examples

• Kava: various kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some serious or fatal, including beverages prepared with water. [2]
• Bioavailable curcumin: liver damage has been reported in some people who used highly bioavailable curcumin formulations; conventional turmeric or curcumin is likely safe for up to 2 or 3 months in recommended amounts. [3]
• Black cohosh: cases of liver damage have been reported in people taking products labeled as black cohosh; it is uncertain whether black cohosh was responsible, and some products contained the wrong herb. [4]
• Asian ginseng: liver damage is an uncommon reported side effect. [5]

Symptoms to act on

NIH lists fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) as liver damage symptoms. Stop the product and talk to your provider. [3] For severe symptoms such as confusion or vomiting blood, get emergency care.

LiverTox

LiverTox, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is the standard reference for drug- and supplement-related liver injury. We could not read it from our system, so we do not quote it. [6]