✨ “Everyone is searching for the magic bullet and the elixir of youth,” according to Harvard professor JoAnn Manson in an interview with National Geographic. For many, supplements are the bullet.

While certain supplements have been proven effective for specific conditions, the reviews are a mixed bag for most.

To add to this confusion, a recent National Geographic article reports that the use of certain supplements is linked to a growing number of supplement-related liver injury and liver failure cases.

Turmeric supplements are one of the leading suspects. But is the risk that high? 🫚 Here’s what you need to know.

I want to hear from you. Send me a message at [email protected] to discuss your experience taking a turmeric supplement.

Toxic Supplements?

According to the experts featured in National Geographic, there are actually six common supplements which contain herbals that may be toxic to the liver.

• Turmeric

• Ashwagandha

• Black cohosh

• Garcinia cambogia

• Green tea

• Red yeast rice

🌿 “Herbal and dietary supplements can cause liver injury just like prescription drugs can," says hepatologist Marwan Ghabril, a professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, in National Geographic.

But it isn’t a black and white issue, and the article explores three possible causes contributing to the surge:

1. ⚠️ Supplements may be mislabeled or contain toxic compounds 

2. 🤼 The drugs can interact with other drugs

3. 🔺 People are “megadosing” beyond healthy recommendations

This supplement is not what it says it is

It was 2024 when a team from University of Michigan published a study exposing the risk of liver damage associated with these common herbals/supplements.

• Symptoms of liver injury can include: yellow eyes, fatigue, and abdominal pain, based on the report.

They also estimate that a shocking 15 million Americans take at least one, according to an article published in Michigan Medicine.

Most individuals take them as single-compound supplements, but botanicals like green tea extract can show up in sneaky ways, as they are combined with other compounds in weight-loss supplements, bodybuilding supplements, and multi-ingredient nutrition supplements, National Geographic reports.

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The risk of mislabelling may be higher than you think

When the researchers previously analyzed the chemical composition of these supplements, they found a “50% mismatch” between ingredients on the label vs. the ingredients present in the supplement.

🪙 “If you buy a supplement and it says it has a certain ingredient, it's basically a coin flip if that’s true or not,” said senior study author Robert Fontana, MD, a hepatologist and professor of medicine at University of Michigan, in an interview with Michigan Medicine.

• In rare instances, supplements have been tainted with arsenic, bacteria, drugs, and other contaminants linked to dementia, osteoporosis, and infection, writes National Geographic.

Thus, a supplement might naturally contain beneficial compounds, but it’s a health risk because it is being mislabeled.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

The role of the FDA in regulating supplements

Unlike prescription drugs, the FDA does NOT need to confirm that supplements are safe or effective before they are marketed. This increases risk of taking a misbranded or adulterated product (and as we have learned, this is a common cause of supplement-related injury).

• To add to the confusion: supplement brands don’t have to do their own testing for product effectiveness either. Some brands choose to get independent, third-party testing to increase consumer confidence in the purity of the product, although it still does not ensure the product is safe/effective.

Potent potables and interacting bioactive compounds

Many supplements contain high doses of bioactive compounds—or substances that can have a positive effect on health. In food form, these compounds can be linked to health and longevity:

• Curcumin—the main bioactive compound of turmeric—can have clinical anti-aging and anti-cancer effects, while ashwaganda naturally contains bioactive compounds which may reduce stress, improve mitochondria health, and boost cardiovascular health.

But turmeric supplements (and curcumin supplements, which only contains the bioactive compound found in turmeric) are different than the spice version of turmeric.

The cooking spice usually has less than 10% potency, while the supplement form may have 100% potency; this increases the risk of liver toxicity, says physician Crystal Xue, MD, the author of a study looking at turmeric supplementation.

• ❌ Mixing supplements with prescription drugs can also negatively impact health, and medical experts warn against taking a high-dose turmeric supplement while on blood-thinners, or certain anti-inflammatories.

The trouble with megadosing 

Megadosing describes taking a higher dose than expert recommendations. Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, tells National Geographic that megadosing can interfere with traditional bodily processes, and it can have toxic effects–especially in women.

• Common side effects include insomnia, headaches, and heart palpitations, he says.

• 🫒 It could be more dangerous when done with fat-soluble micronutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K), he adds.

Fear not, supplementing with turmeric can be safe

It is considered rare to experience liver damage caused by turmeric (or curcumin) supplementation, and “Turmeric supplements are safe for most people,” according to the British Heart Foundation. That said, too much is still too much.

The safe dose

• 8 grams per day (3 teaspoons)*, according to Harvard Health.

• 500–2,000 mg per day (60–100 mg of curcumin), writes Healthline.

Safe supplementing habits include not megadosing (especially without doctor approval), buying quality products (third-party testing is viable option), and understanding how supplements and herbals might interact with other medications and medical conditions.

It’s always a good idea to consult with doc first, especially if you have any underlying issues that require certain medications and specific attention. The same principles apply to the other supplements on the list.

• For instance, green tea extract is considered safe in moderate amounts, but it may pose a slightly higher risk for those with certain genetic variants.

And as a general rule of thumb: Diet first, supplement second

Most experts recommend focusing on a nutrient-dense diet to get all your necessary vitamins and minerals (this certainly can include the spice, turmeric).

_{*Three teaspoons this is considered high and may increase risk of gastrointestinal upset.}

LIVE AND LEARN MORE +

Are you taking a quality supplement?

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and LiverTox are resources that can assess the quality of your supplements, according to the article.

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Until next time,

Erin

Longevity Media LLC

Look good, feel better, live longer.