Recent articles have criticized the use of vitamins and supplements, claiming that the multi-billion dollar industry has little or even no data to support their use, and that there is some evidence of harm from supplementation.
On top of this criticism, a recent article in the New York Times described the rise in liver injuries among those taking herbal supplements, in particular supplements used to enhance muscle growth, with body-builders among the most at risk.
Remember, everything you eat or drink passes through the liver prior to entering the body. It absorbs through the small intestine, is passed into the liver through the portal circulation, and then routed to the rest of the body for use, so all medications and all supplements undergo this transformation. If the supplement is toxic to the liver, it can lead to liver injury and inflammation. Typically this is identified when a person starts feeling poorly, or worse ,when they are critically ill.
If you are not using such supplements, good…but be aware that your children may also be inclined to use such supplements and it’s best to make sure they get them from a reputable manufacturer, or better yet, they don’t take it at all.
Read more here about liver injuries in the NYTIMES.
And there is further information of how little we know about our supplements HERE.
http://www.naturalfactors.com/stores