German food safety panel warns CBD supplements may cause liver harm without proven benefits
A German food safety commission found that CBD supplement doses commonly available on the market can reach levels linked to liver enzyme elevations, while no health claims were supported at safe doses.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The lowest dose tested in humans that caused adverse effects (liver enzyme elevations) was 4.3 mg/kg/day, and this level can easily be reached by following the dosage recommendations on commercially available CBD oil products.
Key Numbers
LOAEL for liver toxicity: 4.3 mg/kg bw/day (healthy volunteers, 3-4 weeks). This level is reachable with 30 drops of 20% CBD oil. No NOAEL could be established because lower doses were not tested. No health claims substantiated at or below the LOAEL.
How They Did This
Expert review by Germany's Permanent Senate Commission on Food Safety evaluating available data on CBD's adverse effects and potential health benefits at food-relevant doses.
Why This Research Matters
Despite having no Novel Food authorization in the EU, CBD products are widely sold with health claims. This review suggests consumers may be reaching harmful doses while getting no proven benefit.
The Bigger Picture
The CBD supplement market has grown faster than the safety research supporting it. This regulatory assessment adds to concerns that consumer products may carry underappreciated risks, particularly for liver health.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
The LOAEL was based on limited human studies. Lower doses were not tested, so a safe threshold could not be established. The review focused on food-relevant doses, not pharmaceutical CBD (Epidyolex) which uses much higher doses.
Questions This Raises
- ?What is the true no-effect level for CBD liver toxicity?
- ?Are certain populations (e.g., those on medications metabolized by the liver) at higher risk?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Liver harm threshold of 4.3 mg/kg/day reachable with 30 drops of 20% CBD oil
- Evidence Grade:
- Expert regulatory review synthesizing available human and preclinical data. Limited by the small number of dose-ranging studies in healthy volunteers.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025.
- Original Title:
- Cannabidiol in Foods and Food Supplements: Evaluation of Health Risks and Health Claims.
- Published In:
- Nutrients, 17(3) (2025)
- Authors:
- Engeli, Barbara E, Lachenmeier, Dirk W(3), Diel, Patrick(2), Guth, Sabine, Villar Fernandez, Maria A, Roth, Angelika, Lampen, Alfonso, Cartus, Alexander T, Wätjen, Wim, Hengstler, Jan G, Mally, Angela
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06405
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can CBD supplements harm your liver?
This review found that liver enzyme elevations occurred at 4.3 mg/kg/day in healthy volunteers, a dose easily reached with common CBD oil products. Because lower doses were not tested, a safe threshold is unknown.
Do CBD food supplements have proven health benefits?
The German food safety commission found no scientific evidence supporting health claims for CBD at doses at or below the level that causes liver changes, including claims about anxiety, sleep, pain, and stress.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06405APA
Engeli, Barbara E; Lachenmeier, Dirk W; Diel, Patrick; Guth, Sabine; Villar Fernandez, Maria A; Roth, Angelika; Lampen, Alfonso; Cartus, Alexander T; Wätjen, Wim; Hengstler, Jan G; Mally, Angela. (2025). Cannabidiol in Foods and Food Supplements: Evaluation of Health Risks and Health Claims.. Nutrients, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030489
MLA
Engeli, Barbara E, et al. "Cannabidiol in Foods and Food Supplements: Evaluation of Health Risks and Health Claims.." Nutrients, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030489
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabidiol in Foods and Food Supplements: Evaluation of Hea..." RTHC-06405. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/engeli-2025-cannabidiol-in-foods-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.