Energy Drinks Linked to Hepatitis
According to Medical News Today, web-based outlet for medical news, a new case report links the beverages to liver damage, after a previously healthy man developed hepatitis from overconsumption.
The case report details a 50-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital for acute hepatitis. The patient had reportedly consumed four to five energy drinks per day for more than 3 weeks. According to MNT, the case was reported by Dr. Jennifer N. Harb of the University of Florida College of Medicine and colleagues and it was published in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
The case report reviewed that the man was previously healthy and had reported no changes in his diet or alcohol consumption, nor was he taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine. He also had no history of liver disease in his family nor consumed any illicit drugs.
For the three weeks leading up to when he was admitted to the hospital, the man had started consuming energy drinks in order to keep up with his heavy workload as a construction worker. After he was released, he started developing symptoms such as general malaise, anorexia, acute abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The man became alarmed when these symptoms were accompanied by dark urine.
During examination, it was discovered that the number of enzymes called transaminases were elevated, which causes liver damage. A liver biopsy revealed acute hepatitis, and Harb and her colleagues also found evidence of an infection of chronic hepatitis C.
"Though the patient was found to have hepatitis C virus infection, we did not think hepatitis C virus was responsible for his acute hepatitis," Dr. Harb mentioned in the report.
Dr. Harb and her colleagues explained that acute hepatitis was most likely induced by the excessive intake of vitamin B3, also known as niacin. The man consumed around 160-200 milligrams of niacin per day, which is twice the recommended daily dose, according to MNT.
Typically, these levels of niacin are not supposed to cause toxicity, though they are close to those reported in another case of energy drink-associated hepatitis. A women had consumed 300 milligrams of niacin daily, which was, the lowest reported dose to cause niacin toxicity.
In the case of the man, his symptoms were cleared by the third day of hospitalization, following careful observation and treatment. The man immediately stopped the use of energy drinks and was advised to avoid any similar products that contain vitamin B3 in the future.
Doctors that have reviewed this case report recommend that patients should be informed of the risks of liver toxicity involved in energy drink consumption. "As the energy drink market continues to rapidly expand, consumers should be aware of the potential risks of their various ingredients. Vitamins and nutrients, such as niacin, are present in quantities that greatly exceed the recommended daily intake, lending to their high risk for harmful accumulation and toxicity," according to Medical News Today.
After learning of the case report, USF Student Christian H. has reconsidered his consumption of energy drinks to help him stay awake during his busy schedule. “I typically will drink a Monster Energy Drink at least once a day to stay active throughout my day. I think I will look for a healthy alternative to avoid any health risks.”
