Doctor's advice on wellness trends to avoid after mom left with brain damage from popular online supplement

A doctor has addressed safe supplement-taking after a woman taking ashwagandha gummies was left with brain damage.

Lois, a mom-of-two from Cheshire, UK, had been taking ashwagandha-based products since July 2025 in a bid to help feel more relaxed.

However, the following year, she began feeling unwell and noticed her eyes and skin turning yellow - symptoms of jaundice.

She ended up collapsed, unresponsive, and was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered her liver was failing.

Doctors told her husband Ollie, 44, that they believed the liver failure was caused by the herbal supplement she'd been taking.

Ollie said: "They said there have only been 70 cases of livers failing following prolonged use of the pills."

Lois' story will be alarming for anyone who is, or has thought about, taking supplements, and now a doctor has asked us to be cautious about participating in 'wellness' culture.

Do you actually need your supplements? (Getty Stock Images)

'Wellness' is 'not healthcare'

In an interview with New Scientist, Doctor Xand van Tulleken stressed 'wellness practices are not healthcare'.

Where health is 'typically about a defined problem that is measurable' aiming to 'prevent and treat specific conditions', 'wellness is about the way we feel' and 'optimising our bodies' and 'performance', and 'looking better'.

And this matters, because 'the wellness industry doesn’t have to prove efficacy, because it doesn’t claim these products do anything,' he adds.

Essentially, Dr van Tulleken says wellness products aren't always as 'legally scrutinised' - they may not put claims on a bottle, but a podcaster or Instagram celeb could easily make one while talking about the product, which could end up misguiding people.

'Healthy people don't need vitamin supplements'

You should consult a doctor if you think you're deficient in anything (Getty Stock Images)

Dr van Tulleken noted that while 'you need vitamins', you 'don't need vitamin supplements'.

Despite many medical professionals being 'on board with supplements for a long time,' it's now widely believed that 'vitamin supplements don't work for healthy people'.

While noting they're a great way for addressing 'specific health problems,' the doctor noted vitamin supplements should only be taken on the advice of your doctor, so you're being given trusted information on exactly which is best to take.

It's time to rethink your supplements (Getty Stock Images)

"There are different ways to think about the problem that a doctor is incentivised to look for that a company selling supplements isn’t," he adds.

Lois thankfully underwent a successful liver transplant, but due to complications during the operation, was left with brain damage.

She remains in critical care, and will likely be disabled in 'some shape or form'.

Ollie has since been speaking out about his wife's experiences to warn others.

He resolved: "I want to spread awareness and warn people that even if you think the supplement you are taking is safe, there can still be serious health consequences."