Recently a year-old man was diagnosed with acute hepatitis after he binged on energy drinks for three weeks. Gizmodo reports that the man now suffers from liver inflammation after indulging in five niacin-packed drinks every day.
And now a new case report from the British Medical Journal advises that consumers be extra careful about consuming dietary supplements. That's because doctors who treated the unnamed man believe energy drinks were the root cause for contracting hepatitis—due to too much vitamin B3, also known as niacin. According to Gizmodo, the man worked in construction and used the drinks to fuel and supplement his labor-intensive workday; however after a few weeks he felt unusually tired and started having abdominal pains, which then lead to nausea and vomiting.
Required for the production of hemoglobin, the compound in red blood cells that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide. Increases the amount of oxygen carried in our blood. Helps maintain a healthy immune system. Aids in the processing of carbohydrates for energy. Food sources of vitamin B6 include fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables.
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Established in , Club Solutions provides best practice, business resources that educate and empower health club professionals. Subscribe: Print Subscribe: E-Newsletter. The Latest from CS. The Current Issue. When this turned to nausea and vomiting, he figured he had the flu—but the man became particularly alarmed when he developed dark urine and jaundice his skin was turning yellow. Wisely, he went to the emergency department.
A physical examination affirmed the jaundice and right upper abdominal tenderness, while lab tests revealed high levels of transaminases—liver enzymes indicative of damage and evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection.
A biopsy of the liver confirmed he had severe hepatitis. Doctors who treated the man believe the hepatitis was triggered by his excessive energy drink consumption, with niacin being the key ingredient.
The problem, say the doctors, was that toxicity arose as a result of an accumulation effect; each bottle of his energy drink contained 40 mg of niacin, or percent of the recommended daily value. The worker was tested for ischemic hepatitis, caused by a lack of blood to the liver, but his organs showed no signs of oxygen shortage, and he had normal renal function. Blood tests for other viral causes of hepatitis were negative. Finally, a biopsy showed that his liver damage was non-specific, meaning it was caused by drugs or toxins, the report said, rather than a virus.
The patient's blood sample revealed levels of serum folate and vitamin B12 that "exceeded quantifiable limits," according to the report. Both serum folate, or folic acid, and B12 are common ingredients in energy drinks. Consumed excessively, these vitamins can accumulate in the liver and become toxic, the report said. The patient's liver injury "was directly subsequent to excessive consumption of energy drinks, and resolved on discontinuation of the products," the report concluded.
The patient's symptoms resolved by the third day of hospitalization, the report notes, and he was discharged on day six. Beyond daily recommended doses. Energy drinks are often scrutinized for caffeine amounts, but large quantities of "natural ingredients," such as B vitamins, may be overlooked, the report said. Some energy drinks also contain high levels of B6 or B Drinking more than one energy drink could put consumers thousands of times over their daily B-vitamin need, which raises the risk of toxicity.
Many people, the case report suggests, have misconceptions that these ingredients are harmless. But an overdose of vitamins may have serious consequences. Can you OD on caffeine?
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