What began as a well-intentioned attempt to boost his liver health nearly turned deadly for 54-year-old Robert Grafton, a former radiology technologist, who now warns others about the hidden dangers of supplement overuse.
Grafton, a father of five from New Jersey, believed he was doing the right thing when he added a turmeric-based liquid supplement to his daily regimen after seeing it promoted on social media. “It all sounded good, I thought I did enough digging,” he told NBC, recalling how the supplement seemed like a natural way to support liver health.
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However, within a week of starting the new routine, Grafton began experiencing alarming symptoms. He felt persistently nauseous, became increasingly itchy, lost his appetite, and noticed his urine darkening. Recognizing the warning signs and suspecting the supplements might be to blame, Grafton stopped taking them and checked himself into a hospital.
Doctors soon diagnosed him with drug-induced liver injury, a serious condition that, according to The Daily Mail, was linked to his excessive turmeric intake. Tests revealed his liver had suffered noticeable damage, though thankfully not permanent.
“I had all the signs of liver failure,” Grafton said. “I pretty much broke down after seeing the test results. At first, I thought it might be liver or pancreatic cancer.”
Though the specific supplement brand was not disclosed, reports say Grafton was consuming around 2,250 mg of curcumin daily, curcumin being the primary active compound in turmeric. In comparison, standard over-the-counter turmeric supplements contain roughly 500 mg, and experts advise not exceeding 2,000 mg per day from supplement sources.
Dr. Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, a hepatologist who treated Grafton, emphasized the widespread misconception that natural supplements are inherently safe. “I think people assume these things are safe. The number one reason we see people taking these is for good health or to supplement their health, and so I don’t think that they realize that there is a real risk here,” she said.
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Even though Grafton had stopped his supplements once he recognized the symptoms, the damage had already been done. Fortunately, recent blood tests showed his liver function has returned to normal, and no permanent damage was found.
But others aren’t always so fortunate. A 2010 study revealed that over 40,000 Americans report liver damage annually due to supplements and medications, with more than 2,000 cases resulting in death. Grafton now avoids supplements altogether and hopes his experience serves as a warning about the very real risks of self-medicating with natural products.
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