Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Ashwagandha, long hailed for its adaptogenic charm, is now facing scrutiny as global case reports link it to liver injuries ranging from enzyme spikes to full-blown liver failure.
Cholestatic hepatitis—where bile backs up like a clogged drain—is emerging as the most common liver injury pattern tied to ashwagandha, often announced by jaundice, relentless itching, and fatigue.
The danger window is unpredictable. Some users see symptoms in days; others, months later. Severity varies wildly, complicating early detection and treatment.
Researchers suspect oxidative stress and mitochondrial disruption from ashwagandha’s compounds, but the exact biochemical ambush remains unsolved—a ticking clock inside the liver.
Think “safe dosage” means “safe liver”? Think again. Documented cases span both casual users and high-dose enthusiasts, proving even label-followers aren’t immune.
Most recover once they stop the supplement, but for others, the damage lingers or worsens. In rare cases, pre-existing conditions turned mild injury into fatal outcomes.
Doctors often miss the herbal link—patients rarely disclose supplements, and symptoms mimic viral or autoimmune hepatitis. This underreporting hides the true scale of harm.
It’s not just contamination—chemical analyses confirm ashwagandha itself, not hidden toxins, is the culprit. A “natural” label doesn’t mean “risk-free.”
Leading liver experts are urging caution. Their consensus: skip ashwagandha if you have liver disease, and seek help at the first sign of trouble—yellow eyes, dark urine, relentless itch.