Doctors are warning of turmeric overdose after a man’s gallbladder burst after consuming too much of the superfood powder.
Turmeric has long been praised for its anti-inflammatory effects and is said to help with everything from HIV and an upset stomach to depression and arthritis. The supplement is usually taken in pill or powder form, and the powder can be made into aesthetically pleasing pale yellow turmeric lattes.
The man’s plight highlights the potential dangers of excessive intake of herbal supplements, said State University of New York (SUNY) medical specialists reporting on the case.
He took between 1,500 and 2,000 mg of the supplements every night — at the high end of the 500 to 2,000 mg that doctors recommended.
Superfoods typically elude drug regulatory agencies and side effects are rarely reported, they warned, meaning people are less aware that the supplements can be harmful if used incorrectly.
Studies have shown that an effective dose of turmeric is between 500 and 2000 mg per day. A turmeric latte with a teaspoon of powder contains about 200 mg of curcumin
A 69-year-old man took 1,500-2,000 mg of curcumin, the main component of turmeric that gives it its bright yellow color, daily for four months.
After three days of stabbing pains, chest pains, fever and sweats, he went to the emergency room.
His pain, which he gave an eight out of ten, spread to his upper back.
When doctors examined his lungs and cardiovascular system, they could find nothing out of the ordinary, as reported in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports.
But a CT scan of his chest showed that his gallbladder was severely ruptured and that he had a 1 cm gallstone in the neck of the gallbladder.
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Gallstones can block the tubes that carry bile from your gallbladder to your small intestine, causing severe pain and bile duct infections.
The man was admitted to hospital and given the antibiotics metronidazole and levofloxacin. He was discharged after seven days and continued to take the medication at home.
The superfood supplements are not recommended for people with gallstones because turmeric increases the gallbladder’s ability to push bile into the bile ducts.
However, turmeric has also been shown to reduce the likelihood of gallstone formation in patients who have never had one.
SUNY medical student Alejandro Vega and kidney specialist Dr. Ernie Yap, who reviewed the case, said the man’s preformed gallstone combined with his overdose of turmeric supplement may have caused his gallbladder to burst.
Since turmeric allows the gallbladder to move more bile, there would have been less room for the gallstone to be released.
They believe that the repeated use of the supplements and the subsequent contraction of the gallbladder combined with the gallstone would have caused a build-up of pressure that would eventually cause the organ to burst.
Studies have shown that an effective dose of turmeric is between 500 and 2000 mg per day.
A turmeric latte with a teaspoon of powder contains about 200 mg of curcumin.
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties are believed to come from its ability to block and lower two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation.
In a study of the effects of curcumin extract in people with colon cancer, patients who took 2,200 mg of turmeric extract per day for four months were not expected to receive the drug at its biological destination.
This points to the need for more clinical trials on the effects of high doses of turmeric, the SUNY researchers said.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
