CBD is everywhere — from calming oils to sleep gummies — and many people use it daily to help manage stress, sleep problems, or mild aches. But how safe is it to take every day, especially for your liver? A recent clinical trial led by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is providing some important answers.
What the Study Looked At
Researchers enrolled 201 healthy adults between January and August 2024. Participants were split into two groups: one took a daily dose of CBD (about 5 mg per kilogram of body weight), and the other took a placebo (a fake pill) for 28 days. This dose is similar to what people might buy over the counter, not the much higher doses in prescription CBD drugs.
To ensure accurate results, the team used Epidiolex, the only FDA-approved CBD product, to avoid unknown ingredients that can show up in unregulated CBD products.
A Small But Notable Risk to Liver Health
The biggest takeaway? About 5.6% of the people who took CBD developed liver enzyme levels more than three times the normal limit. That’s a possible red flag for liver inflammation or damage. None of the people in the placebo group had this issue.
Seven participants had to stop the trial early because of these changes. While the percentage is small, it still raises concern — especially for people who already have liver issues or are taking other medications.
No Hormonal Disruption Found
On a more reassuring note, the study found no major changes in hormone levels between the CBD and placebo groups. That includes thyroid and reproductive hormones. So short-term, daily use of CBD at typical consumer doses doesn’t seem to mess with hormone balance — at least in healthy adults.
What This Means for You
The findings don’t mean you need to stop using CBD entirely, but they do suggest a need for caution — especially if you use it daily or in higher amounts. Even natural products can have real effects on your body. This is especially important if you have liver conditions, take medications, or belong to more vulnerable groups like older adults.
The study also had some limits. It didn’t include older adults, who are frequent CBD users, and most people in the study were healthy. That means the liver risk might be even higher in real-world conditions. And since the researchers stopped CBD when liver issues appeared, we don’t know if those problems would have gotten worse — or gone away — with continued use.
More Research Still Needed
This study is just one step in understanding how CBD affects our health over time. The researchers stress the need for longer-term trials and studies on lower doses — the kind most people actually take. But for now, it’s clear that even consumer-level CBD use isn’t risk-free.
If you use CBD daily, talk to your doctor — especially if you have existing health concerns. Monitoring liver function may be a smart move, and it’s always best to buy high-quality, tested CBD products.
Daily CBD use may be safe for most healthy adults in the short term, but it’s not without risks. Liver enzyme elevations in a small percentage of users show that CBD can have real effects on your body — even at doses you’d find in over-the-counter products. If you’re using CBD regularly, make sure you’re doing it with your eyes open and your doctor in the loop.