Experts have issued a dire warning against a common practice that could be linked to some deadly liver damage in the United States. Some warnings even claim that this choice could be the reason why liver-related issues are on the rise in the country.
No, it has nothing to do with heavy alcohol consumption, which is also a common practice among many. Rather, it has something to do with those supplements you have been taking every day. The liver is a precious organ in your body that assists in more than 500 activities, including filtering out toxins and other harmful substances from the blood.
However, when affected by some drugs, the liver could lose its productivity and metabolize toxins slowly than others. Supplements that we take for our well-being could also affect the organ’s function. Experts are warning that many herbal and dietary supplements could significantly impact even the healthiest livers and cause damage.
According to a 2022 study by Liver Transplantation, the number of patients with supplement-related liver failure waiting for donors has increased at least eight times from 1995 to 2020. A 2017 study also links 20 perfect liver issue cases in America to herbal and dietary supplements.
Robert Grafton was one of those who regularly took his supplements. However, he stopped when he noticed his urine was dark, and some itching symptoms began surfacing one weekend. Good for Grafton, who claims to be working in the medical field, that he recognized the signs of liver damage.
“I stopped taking everything, thank goodness. If I hadn’t known, if I was not in the medical field, I might have thought, ‘Oh, I think I’m getting sick. I need to take some more of these supplements to help me feel better,” he said while speaking with NBC.
🇺🇸 SUPPLEMENTS SPIKE, SO DO LIVER INJURIES: U.S. SEES RISING CASES AS USERS GO UNCHECKED
A New Jersey man landed in the hospital with liver failure after mixing high-dose turmeric supplements with a turmeric-based drink promoted as liver-healthy.
Doctors say it’s not rare.… https://t.co/wkT2TBP33p pic.twitter.com/69zYsUYUys
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 28, 2025
“My liver enzymes were super elevated, my bilirubin was really high — all the signs of liver failure. I pretty much broke down, my wife as well. I was, at that point, thinking it was liver cancer, pancreatic cancer or something,” he added.
Finally, the doctors concluded that Grafton was suffering from a “drug-induced liver injury,” which was caused by the supplements he had been taking. Dr. Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, who treated Robert, said, “I think people assume these things are safe.”
The expert noted, “The No. 1 reason we see people taking these are for good health or to supplement their health, and so I don’t think that they realize that there is a real risk here.”
The US Food and Drug Administration also shares similar concerns when it comes to ingredients that are being used to make those supplements. They warned that it’s important to assess the risk by yourself as the FDA does not monitor them extensively before they are sold in the market.
“Dietary supplements may contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body, even if the ingredients are natural or plant-derived. Adverse events are more likely to occur if consumers take supplements in high doses, take multiple supplements or take supplements instead of or in addition to medications,” the FDA warning explains.
