Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids

Liver damage injuries from various "medications" is a big problem.

A recent study is saying that 20% are from dietary supplements alone.

Much seems to be due to something called catechins (antioxidants) and is found in many dietary supplements and body building supplements as well.

Lots of controversy here and questions concerning the FDA and a law passed in 1994 (the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) that apparently prevents the FDA from approving or evaluating most supplements before they are sold.

When Christopher Herrera, 17, walked into the emergency room at Texas Children’s Hospital one morning last year, his chest, face and eyes were bright yellow — “almost highlighter yellow,” recalled Dr. Shreena S. Patel, the pediatric resident who treated him.

Christopher, a high school student from Katy, Tex., suffered severe liver damage after using a concentrated green tea extract he bought at a nutrition store as a “fat burning” supplement. The damage was so extensive that he was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

“It was terrifying,” he said in an interview. “They kept telling me they had the best surgeons, and they were trying to comfort me. But they were saying that I needed a new liver and that my body could reject it.”

Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids

Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses.

Strange, green tea has always been championed for helping the liver cleanse itself.

CallYourBluff
Strange, green tea has always been championed for helping the liver cleanse itself.

edit on 22-12-2013 by CallYourBluff because: (no reason given)

Water has always been championed for rehydrating and its basic life sustaining traits, yet, drink too much of it and it can kill you.

reply to post by xuenchen


This is a interesting and relevant topic. Although, I would like to make a clarification about a point in the source article. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, at its simplest, makes it that supplement manufacturers do not need approval from the FDA nor do they need to substantiate the claims about their product. As long as there are no outstanding laws against the supplement ingredient, and it has the "Claims have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure..blah blah blah" somewhere on the label, then it can be sold without FDA approval. If it becomes clear that there is some over-riding danger with the product or the company isn't following labeling laws, then the FDA can step in with a variety of measures (ban the substance, force relabeling, fines, etc.).

As these products aren't required to be vetted or substantiated, it's somewhat of a game of roulette. Just because a product is in a health food store, doesn't mean it's "healthy"- see tryptophan in 1980s, nothing wrong with it per se, but some company in Japan used a new method of synthesis and created a toxic by-product; also some plants will just flat out kill you. Some of these products are just garbage that are neither helpful nor harmful or the active ingredient may not even be present in the product at all. Then again there are some great natural products/medicines, e.g. St. John's Wort, Kava; and the medical derivatives (morphine, atropine, digitalis, etc).

Of course, what I've blathered on about applies in the U.S. Sorry for the wall o' text, I'm just really interested in this sort of stuff.

reply to post by CallYourBluff


No #, which is why this theory is horse#.... They are trying to associate a natural detoxification problem with permanent liver damage...

Your liver is the fat-burning organ of the entire body...

reply to post by VeritasAequitas


looks like he is not needing a new liver after all but he has to be checked regularly....

My liver got screwed from medications. I know overdoing almost any supplement can cause harm and if your guess at what is causing the problem is wrong, the problem could get worse. Even with years of studying these things I will only recommend a small multimineral supplement as a daily supplement. Bigger dose mineral and vitamins are medicines, the wrong medicine and it can cause a problem. Catechins naturally in foods are not bad, but some of these supplements are pretty strong. Tea is more than one chemical. Our bodies recognize foods and natural drinks. Taking out one chemical and concentrating it can be used as a medicine that can be used for a few days at most most times.

I know what a bad liver feels like and how it can negatively effect your life. I know first hand how kidneys can give you problems too. I'm limping along and hope they will last for another ten years. I'm too busy studying to die.

I will tell you that sometimes short term strong doses of certain supplements can help to jump start the digestive tract to take out nutrients. A week is adequate most times.

The high you get from the catechins hooked this kid. Some of these supplements should not be allowed to be advertised to lose weight. People want everything to happen right now, they can't wait and will turn medicine into toxins.

I'm so irritated by this...last week it was a study that said multi-vitamins were useless, now.. supplements can harm you. It's so convenient that this is being pushed at a time when our food has less nutritional value or health benefits than ever before or is just simply too cost prohibitive.

I mean what's really killing us? The crappy food, the toxins in the water and environment or supplements?

Screw it, none of us are getting out of here alive.

Yeah be careful taking supplements about 9 years ago when I was body building I was taking creatine well that was a mistake. Kidney stones hurt like hell. Now I think they have a warning because it happened to a lot of guys. There isnt any doubt it was the creatine either because after I passed the stone they analyzed it.

I knew that taking supplements and vitamins was bunk.
HA! I'm the one who goes and buys the food with all the needed supply of antioxidants and such (I love blueberries so it's not difficult) I'd eat an orange before taking vitamin C heck eat a rosehip where they actually make the vitamins from. It's really good with the right dish.

Apparently nobody here has ever heard of medical ghostwriting... You are being bamboozled with all of this anti-vitamin and nutrients garbage... Long-term vitamin and nutrient deficiencies will cause all known chronic illnesses and disease.

Since when are they concerned with liver health? They're are complaining about dietary supplements when the number one liver-killer (by far) is legally sold on almost every street corner in America; the consumption of and the effects of which are glorified by its culture.

It's really hard to take the medical industry/lobby seriously anymore. So I stopped.

boncho

CallYourBluff
Strange, green tea has always been championed for helping the liver cleanse itself.

edit on 22-12-2013 by CallYourBluff because: (no reason given)

Water has always been championed for rehydrating and its basic life sustaining traits, yet, drink too much of it and it can kill you.

Thanks for stating the obvious.