This my friends, is why I assume that people who take little to no supplements (and Rx drugs) are often better off in health than those who choose to take a lot.
The LiverTox database ranks supplements and medications on a 5-point scale [A to E] to assess whether a substance is known to cause liver damage. The scale is defined below:
- A=Known cause
- B=Most likely cause
- C=Probable cause
- D=Probable cause
- E=Unlikely cause
- E*=Suspected but unproven cause
- X=Unknown
Signs of liver damage
A liver injury is at the core of so many health problems I see in clients. When the liver is damaged because it can’t do its job properly, all the body’s systems take a hit. This is because the liver is an important intersection that affects the functioning of all your body’s systems.
While below you can find the most serious signs of liver damage, it is important to know that there is a wide range of ways your liver can be affected that are not always so obvious. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, or months to see a noticeable impact, and at this rate, it’s hard to attribute it to a supplement or drug because the change happened so slowly over time.
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain or swelling
- Fatigue or weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Dark urine
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Bruises or bleeds easily
Cholestasis, a condition considered a subset of liver damage is particularly troublesome. Essentially, it’s when your bile (think of the river of fluid that helps toxins and waste leave the body through your stool) thickens and starts to lag in the bile duct. In nutritional therapy we often refer to this as bile stasis or hypobilious bile flow. It is extremely common. Just imagine the draining of the detoxification system slowing down, backing up, and the impact it has on your entire body. This is terrible for your health and is directly linked to more common symptoms such as:
It is important to note that a liver injury can also be exacerbated by certain nutritional deficiencies, especially not eating enough high-quality animal protein and zinc deficiency.
Supplements associated with liver damage
This morning I took a few hours to go through supplement research and below are the most common supplements I hear people take that are classified as AC. I usually like to see supplements rated E or lower so that I really consider them safe enough for my clients to take.
If you would like more information on any of the below, please do not hesitate to do so go to the LiverTox database and do a simple search to read why each supplement got the rating it did.
- Ashwagandha Probability rating: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Kava Kava Probability rating: A (known cause of clinically evident liver damage).
- Green tea Probability rating: A (well-documented cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
- Black Cohosh Probability Rating: A (products sold as black cohosh are established causes of clinically apparent liver injury, but the specific ingredient or ingredients responsible for the injury is unclear).
- Aloe Probability rating: B (possible but rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Garcinia Cambogia Probability rating: B (probably rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Hydroxycut Probability rating: B (probable cause of clinically evident liver damage).
- Comfrey Probability rating: C (when taken orally, a possible cause of clinically apparent liver damage due to sinus obstruction syndrome).
- Valerian Probability rating: C (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Turmeric Probability rating: B (probably rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Kratom Probability Score: B (probable cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Skull cap Probability rating: B (very likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Ba Jiao Lian Probability rating: B (probable cause of clinically evident liver damage).
- Noni Probability rating: C (probable rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Iron Likelihood rating: A[H] (well-documented cause of clinically apparent acute and chronic liver damage when administered at high doses). Read more about iron overload.
- Vitamin A Likelihood rating: A[H] (well documented cause of liver damage when used in high doses). Read more about vitamin A toxicity
- Energy drinks Likelihood rating: C[H] (possible rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage when used in high amounts).
- Niacin (B3) Likelihood rating: A[HD] (known cause of clinically apparent liver damage, but only when given in high doses).
- Copper Likelihood rating: A[HD] (known cause of acute and chronic liver damage but only when taken in high doses). Read more about copper overload.
Common Rx and OTC drugs
While the following are not supplements, but popular Rx and OTC medications, I thought I’d include them as well to highlight the often-overlooked impact they can have on your health and why they’re often a big part of the problem. This is especially true for those who take them daily for long periods of time.
The intense exposure in the list below is almost always a common denominator in my complex client cases.
- Ibuprofen Probability rating: A (known but rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Likelihood Rating: A[HD] (well documented cause of liver damage, but severe cases occur only with high doses).
- Aspirin Likelihood rating: A[HD] (known to cause clinically apparent liver damage when given in high doses).
- Contraceptive pills Probability rating: A (known cause of various forms of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Antidepressants
- Fluoxetine (Prozac) Probability Rating: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Citalopram (Celexa) Probability rating: C (probable cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Sertraline (Zoloft) Probability Score: B (possible but rare cause of clinically apparent liver damage).
- Antibiotics
- Amoxicillin Probability Score: B (very likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
- Azithromycin Probability Score: A (well known but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
- Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Probability Score: A (well-documented cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
- Cephalosporin Probability Score: B (cephalosporins as a class are very likely but rare causes of clinically apparent liver injury).
If, after reviewing the lists above, you see some things that you take regularly (past or present), you may want to consider them as a possible cause of your health symptoms, especially the “mystery” symptoms that no professional can help you understand .
The more often you take these things, the more likely the seemingly “rare” side effects (which are not that rare in my clinical experience) are likely to occur.
Liver check
If you suspect that your liver has deteriorated in some way, the test can be an invaluable tool to get more data about the condition. The following are some general workshops that can help show you:
- Complete metabolic panel markers — AST, ALT, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase
- Blood nutrient labs — vitamin A, iron, copper (note these popular nutrients that are often violated in the “eating the rainbow” wellness culture and note their link to liver injury above!)
- Other blood labs — GGT
- Liver/gallbladder ultrasound to investigate biliary stasis and fatty liver
Become a customer to get started with checking nutrients for liver health.
Need help supporting your liver?
Sometimes when it comes to getting healthy, it’s all about what NOT to do. Trying too hard to get healthy by eating more “healthy foods” and taking more supplements often has disastrous results.
If you need help getting some labs to give you more insight into your liver health, don’t hesitate to reach out or consider a liver health masterclass.
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Bibliographical references:
- Livertox Database https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547852/
- Drug Cholestasis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3089004/
