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Dubbed as miracle workers which can help you shed weight, gain muscles and get vital nutrients, over-the-counter supplements like vitamin pills and protein powders can put your life in danger.
Early this year, a 27-year-old man from Western Australia nearly lost his life after suffering from liver failure brought about by by drinking a pre-workout protein shake and taking weight-loss supplement.
What Matthew Whitby thought would make him healthier took a toll in his body and almost cut his life short.
Whitby had to have an emergency liver transplant. Since his only choice was an organ with hepatitis B, Whitby has to take tablets every day for the rest of his life.
Health experts discovered that large doses of Yohimbine, Garcinia cambogia and green tea extract were found in his supplements and shake.
Yohimbine, a general stimulant that increases adrenaline levels and inhibits a process that normally stops fat burning in the cells, was found to trigger manic psychosis and interacts with a lot of neurological medications. It is often found in many supplements that bulk up the muscle.
Dr. Jon Wardle of the University of Technology Sydney said you should talk to a health professional before taking it since it’s considered a medication.
Garcinia cambogia, which was dubbed by TV personality Dr. Oz as the weightloss “holy grail”, has links to cases of liver failure. A 2005 study also showed that large doses of this extract can apparently cause testicular atrophy and toxicity.
Drinking green tea may seem harmless but taking concentrated doses, which are often found in powders, is like drinking “20 cups” a day, according to Dr. Wardle. Compounds present in green tea can interact with liver enzymes.
“People think more is always better — that’s not always the case. You can have too much of a good thing, and it gets less effective as time goes on,” Dr. Wardle explained.
Acacia rigidula, a substance found in popular bodybuilding supplements, can endanger human life as one of its ingredients, synthetic amphetamine, has never been proven safe.
The Australian Institute of Sport explained that proteins can be obtained from a good diet. Too much protein intake can hasten the progression of kidney disease or increase calcium excretion which can weaken the bones.
