A patient was treated for hepatitis acute caused by excessive consumption of energy drinks, according to a article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). He would have been poisoned by an overdose of vitamin B3 (niacin), strongly present in this type of product.
A 50-year-old construction worker doped energy drinks for three weeks, consuming four to five bottles a day, each containing twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B3 (niacin). Following discomfort, abdominal pain, nausea and flu, he was taken to the emergency room. His examination revealed elevated levels of liver enzymes called transaminases, indicating liver damage, and evidence of chronic infection of the liver.Hepatitis C. The liver biopsy showed severe hepatitis.
Overdose of vitamin B3 (niacin) involved in hepatitis
Doctors who have treated the man explain that the development ofhepatitis acute is probably due to the excessive consumption of energy drinks and in particular vitamin B3 (niacin). The toxicity probably worsened by cumulative effect. Each bottle of his energy drink contained 40 mg of niacin, or 200% of the recommended daily value.
According to health service estimates, about 23,000 emergency department visits each year are due to adverse events related to dietary supplements, and “in the United States, about half of all cases of acute liver failure are caused by drugs, herbal remedies or nutritional supplements, “say researchers from the College of Medicine at the University of Florida in the United States.
As the energy drink market continues to grow rapidly, consumers should be aware of the potential risks of their various ingredients. Vitamins and nutrients, such as niacin are present in amounts that far exceed the recommended daily allowance, increasing the risk of toxicity “they conclude.
Read also:
Alcohol and energy drink: a devilish cocktail for the brain
Energy drinks: what are their effects on health?
More and more energy drinks sold around the world
