More than 15 million American adults eat botanicals that may harm liver: study

The study revealed a surprising finding: About 7% of American adults, or more than 15 million, consume at least one of six popular botanicals that can harm the liver. Of these, turmeric is the most common, followed by green tea, ashwagandha, Garcinia cambogia, red yeast rice and black cohosh.

A research team led by Dr. Alisa Likhitsup from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor conducted a survey test by analyzing nationally representative data from 9,685 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study results were published in Jama Network Open.

The researchers found that more than 11 million adults regularly take turmeric supplements to relieve joint pain or inflammation, a number similar to the 14.8 million people who apply NSAID painkillers for similar purposes. But despite turmeric’s popularity, multiple randomized clinical trials have failed to show any real benefit for osteoarthritis, the researchers said.

Another 3 million adults take green tea extracts for their supposedly beneficial energy-boosting and weight-loss properties. However, the researchers noted that “many studies have failed to find any objective evidence of weight loss and sustained improvements in mood or energy levels” from the catechins or polyphenols found in green tea extract.

Garcinia cambogia is often credited with helping you lose weight, black cohosh is said to facilitate ease warm flashes, and ashwagandha is recommended for building muscle. But many of these claims lack solid scientific evidence.

The researchers also noted that the lack of regulation of botanicals often leads to discrepancies between product labels and actual ingredients, which can mislead consumers. Consumers can also overdose on these products under the influence of misleading claims.

“In this survey study, an estimated 15.6 million U.S. adults consumed at least 1 botanical product with risk of liver injury in the past 30 days, which is comparable to the number of people who consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and commonly prescribed lipid-lowering medications. Given the lack of regulatory oversight of botanical production and testing, physicians should be aware of the potential adverse events resulting from consumption of these largely unregulated products,” the researchers wrote.

The study found that typical botanical supplement users are older white women with an average age of 52, often financially secure. Many of them have chronic health conditions such as arthritis, thyroid disorders or cancer. About two-thirds of botanical supplement users were taking their supplements along with prescription medications. The researchers caution that these people should be sure to tell their doctors about their supplement apply to avoid potential drug interactions and protect liver health.

National database reveals striking enhance cases of liver toxicity related to the apply of plants, with the number of sedate and even fatal cases almost tripling from 7% in 2004 to 20% in 2014.

“Given the widespread and growing popularity of botanical products, we urge government authorities to consider increasing regulatory oversight of how botanical products are produced, sold, tested, and monitored to the general public,” the researchers added.