Doctors are warning that a growing number of Americans are ending up in the hospital with liver damage tied to herbal supplements, products many people assume are harmless because they are sold over the counter. According to AARP, the concern centers on botanical supplements in particular, which carry the highest risk of liver injury among the broad supplement category.
The supplement aisle enjoys a health halo that the evidence does not always support. Because these products are marketed as natural and sold without a prescription, consumers often take them with little caution — and little awareness that some can cause serious harm, particularly to the liver, the organ tasked with processing them.
A widespread exposure
Research has estimated that millions of U.S. adults take potentially liver-damaging botanical supplements in a given month, with middle-aged and older adults among the most likely to do so. Because these products are not regulated as strictly as prescription drugs, their contents and doses can vary, and consumers often take them without telling their doctors.
The regulatory gap is significant. Unlike prescription medications, dietary supplements do not have to prove safety and efficacy before reaching shelves, and what is on the label does not always match what is in the bottle. That variability makes it harder for both consumers and clinicians to know exactly what a given product contains and how much of it a person is actually taking.
Why the liver is vulnerable
The liver processes most of what enters the body, which makes it the organ most exposed to concentrated compounds in supplements. Certain herbal ingredients have been linked to drug-induced liver injury, a condition that can range from mild enzyme elevations to serious, even life-threatening damage requiring hospitalization.
Because the liver is the body’s chemical processing plant, anything ingested in concentrated form passes through it, and some botanical compounds can overwhelm or injure it. The danger is compounded when supplements are combined with alcohol or with medications that also tax the liver, raising the odds that a product marketed as a health aid ends up doing harm.
How to reduce the risk
Experts advise treating supplements with the same caution as medications: telling your physician what you take, being wary of products promising dramatic results, and watching for warning signs such as jaundice, dark urine or unexplained fatigue. Multivitamins and single nutrients like vitamin D or omega-3s carry lower risk than concentrated herbal blends. The broader message is that “natural” does not mean risk-free, especially for the liver.
Keeping doctors informed matters because the early signs of liver trouble can be subtle, and a clinician who knows what supplements a patient takes can connect symptoms to a cause more quickly. Anyone experiencing yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or persistent fatigue after starting a supplement should seek medical attention. The safest approach is skepticism toward concentrated herbal products and transparency with one’s healthcare providers.
This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
