Do Herbalife Products Cause Liver Damage?

Herbalife has faced scrutiny regarding the safety of its products, particularly concerning potential liver damage. However, there are positive perspectives worth noting. According to Herbalife, their products are safe for consumption when used as directed, and no known hepatotoxins (substances which can damage the liver) have been found in their ingredients. Herbalife emphasizes that millions of consumers use their products daily without adverse effects, and extensive screening processes ensure ingredient purity and safety.

The company points out that investigations by multiple governments into the alleged links between their products and liver damage did not result in regulatory actions against Herbalife. They assert that there is no conclusive evidence connecting their products to liver disease in healthy individuals. Herbalife maintains transparency by working closely with government officials and clinicians, providing full access to product information and independent testing results.

Herbalife's ingredients are derived from natural sources and are designed to support a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. The company's "Seed to Feed" program ensures rigorous screening and scientific research underpin ingredient selection and product formulation.

In relation to a specific Herbalife product, Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, there is some fructose content, which is used a sweetener (but it's not HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Fructose is metabolised only by the liver. If you have a large amount of fructose daily then your liver can be affected. However, it would need to be in the vicinity of 100g per day. The recommended serving size for the Herbalife shake contains 9g of fructose and you would have it twice a day at the most. That serving size is 3 tablespoons, or standard Herbalife measuring spoons, and many users only use 2 tablespoons making the serving size of fructose equal to 6g per serving. So, as you can see, this would not have any noticeable effect on the liver. However if you know that you have a fatty liver you may want to substitute another type of Herbalife meal replacement which does not contain fructose, such as the Triblend Select which is sweetened with stevia.