Do health supplements cause liver damage
August 11, 2009
This doubt must arise in our minds before we choose any health or dietary supplement. Is it safe to use? Probably the best way is to ask your doctor what supplements you can take and how much you can take.
If you are taking prescription drugs for any illness, you need to make sure the supplements do not interfere with those drugs and cause you more problems.
Even some herbal products like kava have been linked to liver damage, especially if you already have a pre-existing liver problem.
One other herb, which is dangerous when taken internally, is Comfrey. But it is best used externally as an ointment. It is also linked to liver cancer if taken internally.
Although some herbal products cause liver damage, it is always related to what dose you take. Another health supplement that is believed to cause liver damage is a weight loss supplement called Lipokinetix.
This is an herbal supplement and has the extract of a particular tea plant, which when taken helps in reducing weight by imitating the body exercise and increasing the metabolism.
Studies show that Lipokinetix is extremely dangerous to the liver and can also cause severe symptoms of abdominal pain, hepatitis, fatigue, and loss of appetite. According to Dr. Tse-Ling Fong, they have treated patients suffering from liver injury who were taking this supplement for weight loss.
One of the patients even needed a liver transplant and some went into a coma. Some of the other herbs that are a possible threat to the liver are Barberry, Mistletoe, Wall germander, Shark cartilage, Jin Bu Huan, and Chaparral.
So it is really important to look out for some factors before choosing a health supplement. First, check out the label if it says, “may cause liver damage”, because if it does, then it is written there as a possible sign of warning.
Please do not ignore that. Check the contents to see if you allergic to any of the ingredients in the supplement, which can cause an adverse reaction. Most of the health supplements that may or may not cause liver damage are mostly dose-dependent and that is why it is important to speak with your doctor before you start any kind of supplement regimen.
Always look for the FDA approved seal and no animal testing done on the supplements.
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Once you give your body a hand by giving it proper fuel, such as a diet high in fruits and vegetables, along with a sensible set of nutritional supplements, you will soon notice a difference.
Yes, supplements CAN cause severe damage. This article concentrated on herbal supplements but many (if not most) available “vitamin supplements” are chemically manufactured. In other words they are synthesised from petrochemical precursors. These types of products are not natural, not intended for the body and should be avoided. Always look for supplements where the active factors (ie the nutritional elements of the supplement) were extracted from fruits and vegetables.
Other key things to look for are “whole food supplements” – we need the full spectrum of the vitamins ie all 8 factors of Vitamin E will do nicely thanks, not just a synthetic DL Alpha Tocopherol.
Also check that the source of the food supplements extraction is something that you would actually eat. Far better to have supplements where the nutrtion is extracted from fruit and veg rather than slime or some weird algae somewhere. Dan