Hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, known online as “The Liver Doc,” has reported a case of acute hepatitis and jaundice in a patient after consumption of a product marketed as Chinese Jasmine Coffee. In a post on the social media platform X, he stated that the patient required hospitalization and used the case to warn clinicians and the public about the hepatotoxic risks of unregulated herbal beverages promoted as natural or wellness drinks. According to Dr.
Philips, the patient had been drinking two to three cups of the product daily for about a week before developing symptoms. These included scleral icterus, dark urine, and severe pruritus, all consistent with acute liver injury. Initial evaluation did not reveal an obvious cause, and routine differentials were considered. A detailed elimination process eventually identified the jasmine coffee as the likely trigger once other…
