Doctor issues serious warning as mom who tried popular supplement she got online is left with brain damage
A doctor spoke out about the possible dangers of supplements like ashwagandha after reports that it was causing damage to people's livers – just like what happened to Lois Kinder.
Lois, a 44-year-old mom from Cheshire, UK, stumbled across the popular supplement last year and ended up being sent samples of it to sell online.
Per Cleveland Clinic, ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub found in India, Africa and parts of the Middle East. Some people use it as a herbal remedy for things like managing stress and promote overall wellbeing.
It comes in different forms: gummies, capsules, liquid drops, and powders that you mix into drinks.
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Lois was reportedly taking two gummies a day containing the Asian herb for a year, but in July the mom-of-two fell seriously ill and was found unconscious on her couch by her teenage daughter.
Lois' story
After being taken to hospital, it was found that the mom-of-two had acute liver failure and was placed into an induced coma.
Fortunately a donor organ was found and she had a successful transplant surgery. However, during the surgery itself, Lois suffered three cardiac arrests caused by a blood clot blocking the main artery to her lungs.
She was deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period while the incredible surgical and critical care teams fought tirelessly to save her life.
At one point, her husband Ollie was told to prepare for the worst.
By means of a miracle, Lois woke up from her coma on August 13. Her battle is far from over though as Ollie says 'nobody knows what her recovery will look like'.
"We don’t know if she will walk again, regain full use of her body, or what level of care she will need in the future," he shared.
"What we do know is that Lois has already shown incredible strength, and we will continue to fight alongside her every step of the way."
At this stage, it's thought that ashwagandha is the 'main cause' of Lois' liver failure, although this is still being investigated.
What a doctor said about ashwagandha
Ashwagandha has been rising in popularity for some time now, sparking liver doctor Lisa Forman, MD, to urge people to be cautious when using it.
In an article shared last year, Forman, a hepatologist in the University of Colorado Department of Medicine, said she'd seen many cases of liver injury associated with ashwagandha.
According to the healthcare expert there is data linking the herbal remedy to liver damage. With this mind, Forman advised that people speak to their doctor before starting to take the supplement.
"I’m not anti-supplement, but use of supplements is increasing and people need to be aware that all supplements have the potential for liver injury," she said.
"The main issue is that supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so there is no requirement to purport any claims on safety or efficacy."
Forman further explained in her interview with the University of Colorado: "If you look at the very few clinical studies that are on ashwagandha, there have not been any reported liver injuries. However, as hepatologists, we have seen a number of patients who have elevated liver tests (which can indicate liver damage) and jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), and the only thing that we have noticed that could predispose them to developing a liver injury is ashwagandha.
"There have been more than 70 reports in the literature of ashwagandha causing liver injury — anything from a mild injury to a prolonged course of jaundice, or even cases of acute liver failure that require a liver transplant.
"Most of the reported cases of severe liver injury have been in people who have underlying chronic liver disease, but we have also seen elevated liver function tests in healthy patients who just happen to be taking this as a supplement."
She continued to note that the experts 'can't say for certain' if ashwagandha caused these issues and that it may stem from 'a contaminant that is in the supplement or something else'. People should remain cautious, however.
Niamh Shackleton