Warning over risk with common supplement
A woman was one step away from going into liver failure after taking a popular supplement.
Katie Mohan, 57, started taking 2250mg turmeric supplements after seeing the product spruiked on Instagram as a way to resolve inflammation and joint pain.
Turmeric supplements have been used to treat things such as arthritis, joint disorders, allergies, infections and colitis, according to John Hopkins Medicine.
With all medications and supplements, there are risks.
Weeks after she began taking the pills, she started to notice she was experiencing nausea, fatigue and stomach pain. Her urine had also become a lot darker.
It wasn’t until the New Jersey woman saw an NBC news report on the growing connection between liver issues and herbal supplements that a light bulb went off for her.
Katie Mohan, 57, started taking 2250mg turmeric supplements after seeing the product spruiked on Instagram as a way to resolve inflammation and joint pain. Picture: NBC
Katie Mohan, 57, started taking 2250mg turmeric supplements after seeing the product spruiked on Instagram as a way to resolve inflammation and joint pain. Picture: NBC
The World Health Organisation recommends 0–3 mg per kilogram. For Ms Mohan, that would have been roughly 200mg.
Ms Mohan ended up in urgent car where her blood work indicated her liver enzymes were 60 times the normal limit, NBC News reported.
Doctors said she was one step away from liver failure and needing a transplant.
The Therapeutic Goods Association revealed there had been 18 reports of liver problems experienced by people taking products that featured Curcuma longa (turmeric) or curcumin up until June 29 2023.
Turmeric supplements have been used to treat things such as arthritis, joint disorders, allergies, infections and colitis, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Picture: iStock
Turmeric supplements have been used to treat things such as arthritis, joint disorders, allergies, infections and colitis, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Picture: iStock
Nine of these reports had enough information to suggest that the liver injury may have been caused by the curcuma longa or curcumin. Four of these reports had no other ingredients that could have caused issues. The other five cases had other ingredients that may have contributed. There were also several Australian and international case reports about liver injury issues in other countries.
Evidence available at the time showed there was a rare risk of liver injury from taking Curcuma longa (turmeric) and/or curcumin in medicinal dosage forms. Risks may be higher for products with enhanced absorption or higher doses. Those with previous liver issues may be more likely to have a reaction.
At the time, there were more than 600 medicines listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods containing the product — many of which can be purchased without a prescription from supermarkets, pharmacies and health food shops.
The warning did not relate to consuming typical dietary amounts of turmeric.