The supplement industry frequently comes under fire for making unsubstantiated claims that can lead to poor health outcomes.
In a recent example, a hospital patient has highlighted the dangers linked to seemingly harmless nail, hair, and skin supplements.
Florida gastroenterologist Dr Joseph Salhab commented on the recent case involving a young woman after she was hospitalised for liver failure following unsupervised supplementation.
It concerns Jenny Ramirez, who made a plea on her TikTok, urging others: “Do not take skin, hair and nail growth multivitamins, unless you want to end up like me, in the hospital with organ failure."
Jenny suffered liver failure after taking supplements for hair, skin and nail growth
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"I’m yellow as a minion, my skin is yellow, my pee is yellow, my liver is through the roof," Jenny told viewers from a hospital bed.
“My GI doctor asked if I’d started a hair growth vitamin. After looking it up, we found that the ingredient that he said can cause liver failure."
Dr Salhab noted in response to the video that the concerns raised are "absolutely true".
"I’m seeing more cases of liver failure, due to certain harmful supplements, and it’s becoming such a problem that we’re seeing an eightfold increase in liver failure," he shared.
"In fact, 15 million Americans may be taking supplements that are harmful to their liver.
"It’s not because supplements are inherently bad. There are a lot of good, beneficial supplements.
"But the problem is that the safety data for a supplement does not have to be proven because it hits the shelf, and anyone can make them.
"This means your favourite supplement can be contaminated with harmful ingredients and additives, so here’s what you’re gonna do to protect yourself."
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Dr Salhab recommends consulting a doctor before taking new supplements
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The first, and arguably most important, step in protecting yourself is making sure your supplement comes from a reputable manufacturer.
“Make sure the ingredients are third-party verified,” said Dr Salhab. “You can use a website called Livertox, where you can see whether a supplement or ingredient has had documented cases where it caused liver problems.
He also urged everyone to get their liver checked on a regular - preferably monthly - basis.
“Always make sure you tell your doctor about any supplements you’re taking to make sure it’s not interacting with anything,” he urged viewers.
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