Study Reveals The Liver Risks of Six Popular Herbal Supplements - Video

A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open indicates that popular six herbal supplements like ashwagandha, black cohosh, Garcinia Cambogia, green tea extract, red yeast rice, turmeric or curcumin are found to be hepatotoxic.

Although herbs and plants have been used medicinally for thousands of years, their popularity has surged recently. Despite being considered “natural,” herbal supplements are not automatically safe and do not undergo review or approval by the U.S. FDA before reaching the market. Furthermore, herbal supplements can cause side effects and may interact with medications that individuals are currently taking.

For this current study, researchers examined data from over 9,500 adults, with an average age of 47.5, from 2017 to 2020. This data included information on prescription drug and herbal supplement use. The scientists specifically investigated the use of six herbal supplements identified in previous studies as potentially harmful to the liver such as ashwagandha, black cohosh, Garcinia cambogia, green tea extract, red yeast rice, and turmeric (or curcumin).

At the end of the study, researchers discovered that approximately 58% of participants had used a herbal or dietary supplement at least once in the past 30 days. Around 5% of these individuals reported having used at least one of the six potentially liver-damaging botanicals within the same period.

Researchers suggest that the use of these potentially liver-damaging botanicals is comparable to the number of people prescribed potentially hepatotoxic medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and simvastatin, a drug used to lower bad cholesterol levels.

Reference: Likhitsup A, Chen VL, Fontana RJ. Estimated Exposure to 6 Potentially Hepatotoxic Botanicals in US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2425822. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.25822