Acetaminophen is a commonly used painkiller in Tylenol and other products. Researchers attending the American Physiology Summitin Long Beach, Calif., reported that acetaminophen was found to alter proteins in heart tissue when given to mice at moderate doses.

The scientists stated, “We found that regular use of acetaminophen at concentrations that are considered safe — equivalent to 500 mg/day — causes numerous signaling pathways inside the heart to be altered.”

Many doctors recommend acetaminophen over nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. But acetaminophen has never been shown to be safer than NSAIDs. And acetaminophen is well-known to deplete the antioxidant glutathione in the liver, which can make acetaminophen toxic to the liver. One of the most common causes of liver failure is acetaminophen toxicity.

In this study, researchers reported that more than 20 different signaling pathways in the heart were negatively affected by routine acetaminophen use. The drug has a very short therapeutic window before liver toxicity can occur.

I suggest the lowest possible dose for the shortest time period. Never take the maximum dose, which is too close to the toxicity limit of the liver.

Vitamin C can aid in preventing toxicity from acetaminophen. Taking glutathione may also lower toxicity.