Mixed
Dietary supplements, particularly multi-ingredient weight loss products and illicit anabolic steroids, are a significant and increasing cause of drug-induced liver injury (DSILI), often leading to acute liver failure and transplantation.
Do not assume dietary supplements are safe simply because they are marketed as 'natural' or 'for health.' Products like green tea extract, usnic acid (found in fat burners), and anabolic steroids carry a real risk of severe liver injury, including acute liver failure. If you are taking these supplements, be aware of symptoms like jaundice or fatigue, and disclose their use to your healthcare provider, as they are often underreported.
The occurrence of HDS-related liver toxicity ranges from 2% to 16% of all identified cases of hepatotoxicity included in different drug-induced liver injury (DILI) Registries in Western countries with an increasing prevalence over time in the US... DSILI constitutes an important cause of ALF in transplantation centers.
Why this rating
Evidence is based on case reports, case series, and registry data rather than randomized controlled trials, limiting causal certainty for specific ingredients.
Source
Hepatotoxicity by Dietary Supplements: A Tabular Listing and Clinical Characteristics
Miren García‐Cortés et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2016
DOI 10.3390/ijms17040537
More from this paper
- Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) used for bodybuilding cause a distinct phenotype of liver injury characterized by high bilirubin levels with relatively low transaminases, often leading to cholestasis and liver neoplasms.Moderate
- Green tea extract, particularly in concentrated supplement form, can cause hepatocellular liver injury, including acute liver failure requiring transplantation, whereas green tea infusion is generally safe.Moderate
Related findings · Mixed
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