In the last 30 years, our collective relationship with supplements has morphed into a full-blown obsession: More than half of adults in the United States today take supplements to “treat” nearly every health issue or psychological woe under the sun. TikTok creators guzzle berberine to “speed up” their metabolism, celebrities swallow sea moss for gut health, and biohackers pop metformin for longevity. 

Supplements may seem like a shortcut to a better mood or ripped physique, but emerging evidence suggests these compounds can harm more than help. Over the last quarter century, scientists have seen a stark rise in liver injury and liver failure linked to supplement use. Patients are showing up to clinics with less severe side effects, too, including mood swings, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, kidney stones, hair loss, and high blood pressure.

Behind this troubling trend are three key factors: the rise of supplements containing especially toxic compounds, harmful drug interactions, and a phenomenon known as “megadosing,” or taking well beyond the recommended limit.

(5 things you should know before trusting that supplement.)

“Everyone is searching for the magic bullet and the elixir of youth— something that’s very easy to be popped as a pill to slow down the aging process or prevent chronic disease,” says JoAnn Manson, a physician, epidemiologist and endocrinologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts and a professor at Harvard Medical School.