Does taking Chinese medicine affect the liver?

We all know that medicine is three-part poison. Any medicine has side effects on the body. Taking Chinese medicine can also affect the liver. For example, commonly used cold medicines can cause liver damage. Some Chinese medicines may also cause serious diseases such as liver cancer and cirrhosis. Therefore, in normal times, it is best to protect your body as much as possible, try not to take medicine, and it is best to use food therapy if possible.

1. Commonly used Chinese medicines that can cause liver damage: The toxic substances in Chinese medicines that have been reported in recent years to cause liver damage are related to the alkaloids, glycosides, toxic proteins, terpenes, lactones and metal factors they contain. For example, Tripterygium wilfordii contains triptolide, Dioscorea bulbifera contains diosgenin and diosgenin, Xanthium sibiricum contains toxic protein, Melia azedarach, Artemisia argyi, Cassia tora, and Cyperus rotundus contain terpenes or lactones, and arsenic (red arsenic and white arsenic) is arsenic trioxide.

2. Clinically, the commonly used Chinese medicines that can cause liver damage include: Dioscorea bulbifera, Notoginseng, Xanthium sibiricum, Polygonum multiflorum, Tripterygium wilfordii, Artemisia selengensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, Viscum album, Cyathula capitata, Pollen Typhae, Ephedra, Bupleurum chinense, Senna leaf, Scolopendra, Albizzia julibrissin, Clove, Toosendan fruit, Brucea javanica, Ilex tomentosa, Castor bean, Aloe vera, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Poppy, Viscum album, Pinellia ternata, Alisma orientalis, Rhubarb, Polygonum cuspidatum, Cyathula capitata, Artemisia selengensis, Senecio tenuifolia, Stephania tetrandra, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Nutmeg, Phytolacca americana, Dichroa senna, Cinnabar, Blister blister beetle, Pangolin, Scutellaria baicalensis, Valerian, Aconitum, Ginkgo biloba, etc. The known Chinese herbal compound preparations that can cause liver damage clinically include: Xiao Chaihu Decoction, Compound Indigo Capsules (Pills), Xiaohe Tablets, Capsules, Liushen Pills, Ganji Powder, Ma Xing Shi Gan Decoction, Ge Gen Decoction, Fangfeng Tongsheng Powder, Shiduqing, Xuedu Pills, Zhuifeng Chegu Pills, Xiaokechuan, Zhuanggu Shenjin Capsules, Guxian Tablets, Liushen Pills, Niuhuang Jiedu Tablets, Tianma Pills, Compound Danshen Injection, Diao Xinxuekang, Kunming Shanhaitang Tablets, etc.

3. Animal experiments have found that Chinese medicines that can cause liver damage or induce liver cancer include: Sixuqing, Sanguisorba officinalis, Gardenia jasminoides, Gallnut, Pomegranate peel, Terminalia chebula, Acorus calamus, fried fennel, Sichuan pepper, fried malt, cinnamon bark, star anise, Atractylodes macrocephala, Akebia trifoliata, and saltpeter. In addition, some external Chinese herbal medicines can also cause varying degrees of liver damage after accidental ingestion: such as fish gall, derris, sea hare, realgar, peppermint oil, raw cottonseed oil, tung nuts and tung oil. It must be pointed out that the hepatotoxicity of some of the above-mentioned Chinese medicines still needs to be proven by reliable clinical data.