title: Herbal products and the liver: a review of adverse effects and mechanisms.
abstract: Herbal products have been used for centuries among indigenous people to treat symptoms and illnesses. Recently, their use in Western countries has grown significantly, rivaling that of prescription medications. Currently, herbal products are used mainly for weight loss and bodybuilding purposes but also to improve well-being and symptoms of chronic diseases. Many people believe that because they are natural, they must be effective and safe; however, these beliefs are erroneous. Few herbal products have been studied in well-designed controlled trials of patients with liver or other diseases, despite testimony to the contrary. Moreover, current highly effective antiviral drugs make efforts to treat hepatitis C with herbal products redundant. Herbal products are no safer than conventional drugs and have caused liver injury severe enough to require transplantation or cause death. Furthermore, their efficacy, safety, and claims are not assessed by regulatory agencies, and there is uncertainty about their reported and unreported contents. We review the history of commonly used herbal products, as well as their purported efficacies and mechanisms and their adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: mahler68@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Leonard B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Seeff
authors.affiliation: Liver Digestive & Metabolic Disorders Laboratory, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Herbert L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bonkovsky
authors.affiliation: Jefferson Medical College, Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Guqi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Contamination and Adulteration; Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act; Herbal Therapie; sSilymarin