Americans who have liver question s...

Americans who have liver question s or who are taking medications that can harm the liver should check with their doctors before taking kava (Piper methysticum), the US diet and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned.

Based forward the case of a 45-year-old woman using kava, who unexpectedly required a liver transplant, as well as reports of 25 similar cases in Europe in March the FDA advised consumer who take kava counterparts as a sleeping aid or anxiety reducer to diocese a doctor at the first sign of symptoms related to liver problems

The Council for Responsible Nutrition--one of the dietary postscript industry's leading trade associations--agrees with the FDA's position forward kava, and recommends the voluntary use of labels that would warn consumer of potential health risks. "Even granting no causal relationship has been place between kava and liver point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds a consumer advisory is an appropriate and cautionary way for the FDA to inform consumer of a potential--but rare--risk," says council president John Cordaro.

The FDA has not still concluded its research on kava to decide if the complement or another drug may be to blame for the reported liver problems--hence the warning. Similarly, Canada has urg consumer to avoid kava until the safety question is answered. Other countries have taken sterner action, however. Sales of the postscript have been halted in Switzerland and France and were suspended in Great Britain. The German direction meanwhile, is acting to reclassify kava as a prescription drug

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