‘i thought natural supplements were safe and then i got sick’

Robert Grafton, initially thought he had liver cancer when he started experiencing some disturbing symptoms. But the former radiology technologist found it was a seemingly harmless turmeric

supplement at the heart of the issue: "It all sounded good, I thought I did enough digging." The New Jersey man had started a new turmeric-based liquid supplement, introducing it

to his range of other natural supplements, inspired by social media claims promising improved liver health. However, within a week, the 54 year old experienced nausea, incessant itching,

loss of appetite, and dark urine. He stopped the supplements and went to hospital where tests confirmed the extent of the damage. Grafton told NBC he was experiencing "all the signs of

liver failure" and "pretty much broke down” after seeing his test results as he believed it could be liver or pancreatic cancer. However, it actually turned out to be drug-induced

liver injury. This condition can be triggered by products that claim to grow muscle or reduce stress, according to the Daily Mail, as these ingredients can also trigger liver damage is

consumed in excess. Grafton said: "It turns out I had something called a drug-induced liver injury, which came from my supplements." While it wasn't specified which turmeric

supplement Grafton used, he was ingesting about 2,250mg of curcumin, a primary ingredient of turmeric, through his daily supplements. This is significantly higher than the typical 500mg

found in over-the-counter turmeric capsules, and it exceeds the generally advised maximum of 2,000mg of turmeric in supplements. Dr Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, who treated Grafton, cautioned on

NBC: "I think people assume these things are safe. The number one reason we see people taking these are for good health or to supplement their health and so I don't think that

they realize that there is a real risk here." Grafton stopped using the supplements after noticing the symptoms, but the excessive turmeric consumption had already done notable harm.

After his diagnosis, he has cut out supplements completely. Subsequent blood tests showed his levels bounced back to normal, with no lasting liver damage detected. However, not all people

fare as well. Research conducted in 2010 discovered that annually, over 40,000 Americans report liver injuries attributed to medications and supplements, with a death toll exceeding 2,000

due to the severity of the conditions.