Ibuprofen is one of the most common pain relievers people use around the world.
Whether it’s for a headache, muscle ache, or fever, many of us take it without a second thought.
But new research from the University of California Davis suggests we may want to be a little more careful.
Researchers gave mice a dose of ibuprofen similar to what a person might take—about 400 mg a day—for one week. Then they studied the mice’s liver cells to see what happened. What they found was surprising.
In male mice, ibuprofen affected at least 34 different systems in the liver. These systems help the body turn food into energy, balance hormones, and keep cells working properly. Ibuprofen seemed to make some of these processes act differently.
One of the effects was an increase in hydrogen peroxide, a substance that can damage cells when there’s too much of it.
The liver’s waste removal system also reacted differently in males and females. In men, ibuprofen might slow down the liver’s ability to get rid of other medicines. This could mean that men who take ibuprofen may keep other drugs in their bodies longer than expected. That’s something that hadn’t been clearly shown before.
Why is this important? Because many people think of ibuprofen as completely safe—after all, you can buy it without a prescription. But the study suggests we might need to be more careful, especially if we don’t really need it or if we take it often.
The findings also show that men and women don’t always react the same way to medications. Doctors might need to take this into account when giving medical advice or prescribing drugs.
The study was led by Professor Aldrin Gomes and shows that even common medicines can affect our bodies in unexpected ways. It’s a reminder that we should be thoughtful about what we put into our bodies—even something as familiar as ibuprofen.
If you have concerns or take ibuprofen often, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor. And for mild pain, it might be worth looking into other options, like rest, stretching, or using ice packs.
This research helps us understand more about how our bodies work and how we respond to medications. It’s one more reason to treat even over-the-counter medicines with care.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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