Liver extract is a product that comes from animal liver, most commonly from cattle. Liver extract is used to make medicine.
People take liver extract by mouth or by injection for various conditions, especially for liver health or as a source of iron and vitamin B12, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Is It Effective?
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Some research suggests that injecting a combination of bovine liver extract, folic acid, and vitamin B12 for 3 weeks does not seem to improve fatigue in people with CFS.
- Swelling (inflammation) of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (hepatitis C). Early research suggests that injecting liver extract plus flavin adenine dinucleotide intravenously (by IV) or as a shot into the muscle might improve response to interferon-alpha or interferon-beta therapy in people with hepatitis C.
- Improving liver function.
- Preventing liver damage.
- Treating liver diseases.
- Treating allergies.
- Improving muscle development.
- Improving strength and physical endurance.
- Removing chemicals from the body (detoxification).
- Recovery from chemical addiction.
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of liver extract for these uses.
Is it Safe?
Liver extract contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron. In animals, it seems to increase the number of liver cells. It is not known how liver extract might work for medicinal uses in people.
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough information to know if liver extract is safe. Since some preparations of liver extract come from animals, there is concern about possible contamination from diseased animals. However, so far there are no reports of diseases in humans that were caused by ingestion of contaminated liver.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if liver extract is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Too much iron in the body, including a condition called hemochromatosis: Liver extract contains iron and might make iron metabolism disorders worse. If you have one of these disorders, don't use liver extract.
It is not known if Liver Extract interacts with any medicines. Before taking Liver Extract, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications.
There are no known interactions with foods.
The appropriate dose of liver extract depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for liver extract. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
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