People using herbal supplements to enhance workouts or weight loss may be exposed to severe liver damage, says a new report from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Jose Serrano broke the news during a press conference earlier this week during Digestive Disease Week.
According to Serrano, about 18 percent of liver damage cases in the U.S. stem from herbal supplement use. An estimated 40 percent of Americans have used or actively use such supplements.
"The number of cases in our network has increased over the years," Serrano said. "There were no deaths, but 7 percent of patients needed a liver transplant. These are not trivial consequences."
Donald Jensen, MD, of the University of Chicago echoed Serrano's sentiment.
"Patients need to be label readers," Jensen told MedPage Today. "They can't just assume that everything out there is safe. There are things out there that can be potentially damaging."
by RTT Staff Writer
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