Dietary supplements have become very common these days, but there is an ongoing debate over their health benefits. Many have also said that these supplements do more bad than good and a new study supports this theory.
The study found that the number of liver injuries caused by herbal and dietary supplements has increased in the past decade has increased by up to 20 percent.
"While many Americans believe supplements to be safe, government regulations (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994) require less safety evidence to market products than what is required for conventional pharmaceuticals" lead author Dr. Victor Navarro, from Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, said in a press statement. "With less stringent oversight for herbals and dietary supplements, there is greater potential for harmful consequences including life-threatening conditions."
For the study, researchers examined 839 patients with liver injuries from eight U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DLIN) referral centers between 2004 and 2013. Among these injuries, 45 were caused by bodybuilding supplements, 85 by non-bodybuilding supplements and 709 by medications.
Researchers found that during the study period, liver injuries caused by herbal and dietary supplements rose by 20 percent. These supplements were also found to increase the risk of jaundice among men. Death or liver transplantation occurred more frequently among cases of injury from non-bodybuilding supplements - 13 percent more than from conventional medications. Liver injury from non-bodybuilding supplements was more common in middle aged women.
"Our study group is specific to DILIN centers and therefore we cannot conclude that liver injury due to herbals and dietary supplements in on the rise in the U.S. Further population-based study of liver injury due to herbal products and dietary supplements is needed," the study authors said.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III, multivitamins, minerals, calcium and fish oils are the most commonly used supplements. What's concerning is the fact that nearly half of all adult Americans consume herbal and dietary supplements. Medical evidence shows that supplements are used more often by women, non-Hispanic whites, those over 40 years of age and those with more advanced education.
Previous studies have also established that liver injury caused by non-bodybuilding supplements is most severe, occurring more often in middle-aged women and more frequently resulting in death or the need for transplantation than liver injury from bodybuilding supplements or conventional medications.
Findings were published online in the journal Hepatology. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
