Condition
Acute Liver Failure
Acute liver failure is an emergency in which the liver quickly loses function in someone without prior liver disease, causing confusion, bleeding problems, and sometimes multi-organ failure. N-acetylcysteine has the strongest support, as a hospital standard after acetaminophen overdose, but a pooled analysis of trials found no clear difference in survival when it was used for other causes. That finding rests on very limited evidence, and support for other supplements is moderate at best.
Sources: PMID 39062036
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 2
- People studied
- 469
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver Damage Risk Multiple human case reports document acute hepatitis, liver failure, and fatalities following germander ingestion. Neo-clerodane diterpenoids are metabolized by CYP3A4 to reactive compounds that deplete hepatic glutathione and cause hepatocyte damage. These findings led to product bans in France (1992) and FDA warnings. | Worsens (the measure goes up) | Large effect |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Cause Mortality No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 469 people | |||
| Length of hospitalization | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 469 people | |||
Studies that measured length of hospitalization | ||||||
Key findings
- Liver Damage RiskWorsens (the measure goes up)
- All-Cause Mortality
The Acute Liver Failure Supportive Care protocol
1 primary supplement · 5 supporting supplements
- N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)Hospital protocol for overdose; oral 600–1,200 mg daily for general liver support (not for acute ALF)
Studies cited
2 studies from PubMed