A mother of 2 died because of ordinary nutritional supplements - now her family is warning others of the danger
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Protein shakes, protein bars, and protein drinks - people who train regularly have been consuming them for years. They are described as dietary supplements with a high protein content.
The consumption of these products has only been increasing in recent years, even among people who do not exercise regularly.
Many find them delicious, and believe that they are a worthy substitute when there is no time for a nutritious meal, but they are not aware of the health risks that accompany too much consumption of the product.
Now a family in Australia wants to warn everyone after their 25-year-old daughter died with the cause of death being a 'protein supplement overdose'.
Megan Hefford, a mother of 2 children, planned to participate in a body building competition in September 2017.
To have a chance in the competition, she needed to lose a large amount of body fat and build a large amount of muscle mass.
Therefore, she began a strict diet, in which she consumed large amounts of protein powder.
Megan wanted to do well in the competition, so she pushed herself to the limit, training twice a day, every day. Over the summer, her family noticed that Megan was often tired and hungry.
"I told her, 'I think you're working out too hard at the gym'", her mother told the New York Post. "Calm down, slow down."
But Megan's condition worsened. Then, in June that year, 25-year-old Megan was found dead in her apartment.
The post-mortem examination found that Megan suffered from urea cycle disorders, a disease that prevents the body from breaking down ammonia, a component found in protein.
In other words, Megan's blood contained extreme amounts of ammonia, as a result of consuming too much protein.
With 3 months only left until the big competition, Megan's life ended suddenly when she was just 25 years old.
Now her family wants to warn others who take too many nutritional supplements.
"I know there are other people besides Megan who have gone to the hospital because of nutritional supplement overdoses", her mother told the New York Post. "The sale of these products should be supervised."
This is a tragic and heartbreaking story.
We feel it is our duty to help and share the grieving family's warning so that others will be aware and beware of consuming too much of these supplements.
