Supporting Liver Health While on GLP-1 Medications: Supplements That Aid Detoxification
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GLP-1 agonists are known to cause several side effects on your liver. Most might be associated with discomfort, like nausea and abdominal pain. Some, on the other hand, have a much more far-reaching impact on your body, such as diarrhea. In this article, we examine this topic, explaining how these side effects impact your liver and how to support it while on GLP-1 medications. We invite you to read on.
GLP-1 Side Effects on Liver Explained
In general, GLP-1 is safe for your liver—the side effects are not as common as one would think and are mainly mild. According to Fontana, only a handful of patients experience more severe side effects, such as hepatitis. Therefore, GLP-1 is generally safe.
However, the same research showed that about 10%-20% of patients might develop mild symptoms of GLP-1 drugs’ impact on the liver, with side effects such as:
- nausea,
- diarrhea,
- abdominal pain.
The above might cause discomfort but also far-reaching consequences, such as lower nutrient absorption. Therefore, it is crucial to counteract if they occur.
Frequently, the above liver side effects are caused by overdosing on GLP-1 drugs. Therefore, your first instinct should be to consult your healthcare practitioner if one of these occurs. However, they might also appear at the beginning of your therapy or throughout it, despite tailored dosage. In such scenarios, you may need to opt for liver support supplements.
Liver Support During GLP-1 Therapy
How do you support your liver function while on GLP-1 medications? You need to look at this from a dualistic perspective.
On the one hand, you may need supplements that will help you strengthen and support your liver health. On the other hand, you have to battle the side effects caused by the symptoms, like nutrient deficiencies.
Liver Health Support
To support your liver health on GLP-1 drugs, you may opt for detox supplements. These will provide you with tailored liver support, including:
- detoxification,
- hormone metabolism,
- liver-oriented nutrition.
You should look for products that support both phase I and phase II detoxification but also provide you with additional nutrition. Many such supplements are clinically tested, so you know you can trust them.
You might also opt for GI health supplements to promote your liver health even further. However, here, you need to conduct more thorough research (or consult your healthcare practitioner) since only some supplements of this type may have beneficial effects on your liver.
Nutrient Resupply
Secondly, you need to look into your nutrition. If any adverse effects of GLP-1 medication occur, they are likely to cause certain nutrient deficiencies, which may vary based on your diet. Therefore, you should consider taking multi-vitamins to boost your vitamin and mineral intake.
Some protein supplements may also be helpful, as you both do not consume enough proteins due to GLP-1 drugs’ side effects on your liver and as they often contain other vital nutrients. Nevertheless, the best strategy is to call your doctor and conduct a blood test, which will give you more information on the nutrients you need.
The Takeaway
- GLP-1 medication may have several side effects when it comes to liver health, including nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. However, these only occur for about 10%-20% of patients.
- If you experience GLP-1 side effects and liver symptoms, you should first contact your healthcare practitioner to determine whether a smaller dose of GLP-1 agonists will help.
- How do you support liver health when on GLP-1 medications? You may opt for detox, GI health, and protein supplements. Multi-vitamins might also prove helpful.
You may also read: Maintaining Muscle Mass—Why Protein Supplements Matter When Taking GLP-1 Drugs
References:
- Fontana, R. J., Choi, E.-Y. K., Kaganove, J., & Dodson, A. (2024). First report of tirzepatide hepatotoxicity with jaundice. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 22(12), 2538–2539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2024.06.025
