New Database Lists Adverse Effects Of 700 Medications, Supplements, On Liver

A new National Institutes of Health online database of 700 medications, and herbal and dietary supplements, shows that many can be toxic to the liver. The searchable Livertox database shows, for example, that kava, comfrey, valerian, vitamin A, niacin and green tea, when taken in high doses, have been linked to liver injury and disease. Loyola University’s Steven Scaglione, M.D., who specializes in liver transplantation and research, praises the new NIH database, noting that consumers have become aware in recent years of the dangers of taking too much acetaminophen, but are relatively ignorant of the risk of liver injury presented by certain popular herbal and dietary supplements.