Woman hospitalized and ‘one step before liver failure’ after taking popular supplement
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: NBC News
A woman in the US would have needed a liver transplant following liver failure if she hadn’t realized what impact a supplement was having on her body.
People taking supplements in addition to a balanced diet isn’t anything new but one woman found out how dangerous things can get if you are not careful.
These supplements can often be very beneficial and many social media influencers have sworn by their positives, often increasing their uptick in popularity.
But just like taking anything, moderation is key.
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And when it comes to your health, it can be even more important to get the doses correct because if not, your body can suffer from a whole lot of negative side effects. In serious cases, this can lead to medical emergencies.
New Jersey woman Katie Mohan was able to avoid this scenario but her doctors said that she was one step away from liver failure and would have ultimately needed a transplant.
So what was she taking? Well, she started taking turmeric pills.
Now before you get up in arms, turmeric can have a whole host of benefits for the body.
It comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, a type of ginger and can alleviate joint pain due to its anti-inflammatory benefits.
After hearing of these benefits, Mohan began taking the spice as a daily supplement. However, things would eventually take a turn.
A few weeks later she realized she was nauseous and exhausted, and despite maintaining healthy hydration levels, she noticed her urine was considerably darker.
Speaking to NBC News, she said she had a lightbulb moment realizing the cause may be the supplement.
She said: “I just did not feel well generally. A light bulb went off in my head and I said, Oh, my gosh! I wonder if this is what’s wrong with me.”
Turmeric pills are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration so there aren’t guidelines on the safe amount to consume.
The World Health Organization has established that an acceptable daily dose of turmeric is 0 to 3 mg per kilogram of body weight.
So, for a woman of Mohan’s size, that equates to 200 mg a day. Her supplement level? 2,250 mg per day.
When she visited urgent care, Mohan’s liver enzyme levels were 60 times the normal limit.
Dr. Nikolaos Pyrsopoulos, a hepatologist at NYU said: “It was very serious. Katie actually was one step before full liver damage, liver failure, requiring liver transplant.”
Thankfully, after just under a week in hospital, Mohan’s liver was able to regenerate thanks to it being a ‘forgiving organ’, according to Pyrsopoulos.