Supplement
Felty germander is a Mediterranean herb used in traditional remedies, and its main compounds are converted by a liver enzyme into reactive byproducts. The best-documented finding is harm: case reports described acute hepatitis, liver failure and deaths after people ingested it, leading France to ban products in 1992, though the evidence is limited. Hints of lower blood sugar, less inflammation and antioxidant activity came only from rodent and lab work.
- Updated
- How we grade
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 0013
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver Damage Risk Multiple human case reports document acute hepatitis, liver failure, and fatalities following germander ingestion. Neo-clerodane diterpenoids are metabolized by CYP3A4 to reactive compounds that deplete hepatic glutathione and cause hepatocyte damage. These findings led to product bans in France (1992) and FDA warnings. | Worsens (the measure goes up) | Large effect |
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Glucose In diabetic rodent models, Teucrium polium extracts have shown hypoglycemic effects. These findings have not been validated in human clinical trials, and use is contraindicated due to severe hepatotoxicity risk. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Inflammation Anti-inflammatory effects have been observed in rodent models. No human studies have been conducted for efficacy. Any potential benefit is negated by the well-documented hepatotoxicity risk. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Status In vitro studies demonstrate antioxidant activity of Teucrium polium extracts. This finding is preliminary and has no clinical relevance given the severe hepatotoxicity risk associated with ingestion. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect |
Key findings
- Liver Damage RiskWorsens (the measure goes up)
- Blood GlucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
- InflammationImproves (the measure goes down)
Safety notes in the studies
- These findings have not been validated in human clinical trials, and use is contraindicated due to severe hepatotoxicity risk.
- Any potential benefit is negated by the well-documented hepatotoxicity risk.
- This finding is preliminary and has no clinical relevance given the severe hepatotoxicity risk associated with ingestion.
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Third-party tested Felty Germander products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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