Use of Botanicals Like Turmeric and Green Tea Are on the Rise Amid Growing Concerns Over Liver Health

More Americans are using botanicals like turmeric and green tea extract amid growing concerns about their impact on liver health.

A review of recent data found 15.6 million U.S. adults are taking at least one of the six leading botanicals and while they’re considered likely safe, researchers say many are ending up in the hospital with liver toxicity.

The lead author points to overuse and a lack of regulatory control as probable causes.

She says chemical tests done on products linked to these crises "show frequent discrepancies between product labels and detected ingredients."

Turmeric is the most popular botanical, followed by green tea, ashwagandha, Garcinia cambogia, red yeast rice and black cohosh.

The researchers say they’re being used nearly as often as NSAID paid relivers for arthritis and other conditions…. although there is no good science backing most of the health claims.

The authors say these findings highlight the need for increased oversight of the production and marketing of botanicals.

Source: JAMA Network Open

Author Affiliations: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor