Tumer-sick.<\/p>\n
Looking for relief for joint pain and after hearing social media influencers tout the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, a New Jersey woman began taking the spice in a daily supplement.<\/p>\n
Weeks later, Katie Mohan was beset with symptoms of nausea and exhaustion, and despite maintaining healthy hydration levels, she noticed her urine was considerably darker. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just did not feel well generally,\u201d she told NBC News<\/a><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until Mohan watched an NBC News report on the rising rate of liver damage from herbal supplements that she connected her symptoms to her own supplementation. NBC News<\/p>\n Turmeric is derived from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, a type of ginger. The root contains curcumin, a compound known to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and has been proven to have a wide range of health benefits<\/a>, ranging from treating ulcerative colitis to reducing the risk of heart disease. <\/p>\n However, too much of a good thing can be bad news.<\/p>\n Turmeric pills are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and there are no clear guidelines on what amount is safe to consume. However, the\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a> has established that an acceptable daily dose of turmeric is 0 to 3 mg per kilogram of body weight.<\/p>\n For a woman of Mohan\u2019s size, that equates to 200 mg a day.<\/p>\n Her supplement level? 2,250 mg per day.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until Mohan watched an NBC News report<\/a> on the rising rate of liver damage from herbal supplements that she connected her symptoms to her own supplementation.<\/p>\n \u201cA light bulb went off in my head and I said, Oh, my gosh! I wonder if this is what\u2019s wrong with me.\u201d<\/p>\n A visit to urgent care revealed that Mohan\u2019s liver enzyme levels were 60 times the normal limit.<\/p>\n Upon being transferred to NYU Langone in New York City, doctors were shocked by the extent of the liver damage caused by Mohan\u2019s supplements. <\/p>\n Experts note that though still relatively rare, there has been an uptick in liver injuries caused by supplements. Pixel-Shot \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very serious,\u201d said Dr. Nikolaos Pyrsopoulos, a hepatologist at NYU. \u201cKatie actually was one step before full liver damage, liver failure, requiring liver transplant.\u201d<\/p>\n Thankfully, after six days of hospitalization, monitoring, and IV treatment, Mohan\u2019s liver, which Pyrsopoulo describes as a \u2018forgiving organ\u2019 was able to regenerate.<\/p>\n Supplements and liver damage<\/p>\n Experts note that though still relatively rare, there has been an uptick in liver injuries caused by supplements. <\/p>\n The\u00a0Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, a research group backed by the National Institutes of Health, is trying to track cases of supplement-induced liver damage. Since 2024, the program has enrolled more than 1,800 patients, with\u00a019% of liver damage cases linked to supplements<\/a>. <\/p>\n According to a study published last year in JAMA Network Open, turmeric is one of the\u00a0most common herbal ingredients<\/a> linked to toxic hepatitis in the US, while a review in the journal Hepatology<\/a>\u00a0found that 20% of liver toxicity cases are tied to herbal and dietary supplements.<\/p>\n A review in the journal Hepatology\u00a0found that 20% of liver toxicity cases are tied to herbal and dietary supplements. jaojormami \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Experts note that \u201cnatural\u201d can easily be construed as healthy. While low doses of turmeric, like those used in cooking, are expressly safe, supplements like the one Mohan was taking often contain doses of 2,000 mg or more. <\/p>\n Further, turmeric supplements often include piperine (black pepper), which can substantially increase the bioavailability, or the body\u2019s absorption of the spice. <\/p>\n