Lois Kinder £5 Ashwagandha Supplement — The Real-World Risk Of Unprescribed Health Supplements

The online wellness culture led by online platforms like Instagram and TikTok has turned dietary supplements into everyday staples, as a quick fix for stress, poor sleep, and hormonal fluctuations. These over-the-counter herbs and gummies are often labelled as harmless due to their natural origins, but their unregulated self-medication can carry hidden risks. A recent medical emergency involving a UK mother emphasizes a viral wellness routine can turn into a life-altering organ failure, if not approached with vigilance. 

Lois Kinder, A case study 

Lois Kinder, a 44-year-old mother, was fit, active and healthy. Lois turned to ashwagandha to manage her perimenopausal symptoms, including mood swings, brain fog and trouble sleeping along with easing stress and support general wellbeing. Working as a TikTok affiliate, she often received samples of “trendy” supplement products to review and sell online. 

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as “Indian ginseng” or “winter cherry” — is an evergreen shrub native to parts of India, the Middle East and Africa. It is one of the most well-known herbs in Ayurvedic medicine, classified as an “adaptogen”, a substance that might help prevent physiological and psychological stress in the body. 

Why did taking Ashwagandha supplements affect her? 

The lack of regulations for online gummies and drops, can contain concentrated extracts with wide variations in withanoloids, a steroidal lactones. This deregulation may create risks of heavy metal contaminations or hidden synthetic additives.

These items were easily accessible, sold over the counter on main streets and online platforms starting at just £5. Lois was ingesting the Asian herb — ashwagandha in two gummies daily doses with coffee on daily doses. 

She took them regularly as they really made her feel more relaxed. Thus, they never suspected that the herbal medicine could pose any danger to her organs, recalled her husband. 

Ashwagandha may be safe when taken for up to 3 months, although some people may experience side effects such as drowsiness, stomach upset, diarrhoea and vomiting. There is not enough information to determine its long-term safety. Although rare, cases of liver injury have been reported in people taking ashwagandha supplements. NIH LiverTox reports that these cases have typically involved cholestatic or mixed liver injury, jaundice and itching, with rare cases progressing to acute liver failure requiring liver transplantation. Ashwagandha may also have sedative effects and can interact with certain medications, including sedatives, immunosuppressants and thyroid hormone medications.

What did the doctors tell them? 

Doctors tending to Lois quickly suspected her severe liver damage was linked to the supplement, asking her family almost immediately if she had been consuming ashwagandha-based pills. 

“When the doctors ran tests, one of the first things they asked us was if she was taking pills containing ashwagandha, which they later said they believed had caused the liver problems,” said Oliver, Lois’ Husband in the Go Fund me post. 

Lois was put into an induced coma and listed for an urgent liver transplant. Lois suffered three cardiac arrests during the transplant due to a blood clot blocking the artery of liver causing deprivation of oxygen to the brain for an extended period of time. Against all the medical complications, Lois survived and regained consciousness weeks later. But the prolonged hypoxia — oxygen deprivation — left her with significant permanent brain damage, long-term motor impairment, and severe limb weakness. 

The thought of losing his wife, and for their children, Imogen and Jacob, losing their mum at just 44 years old, was unbearable. Watching the person he loved fight for their life is something no family can ever prepare for, recalled Oliver. Healthcare providers have labelled her case to be so severe and rare that it will be published. 

The Go Fund Me Campaign

Lois' family and friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help get and adapt a wheelchair accessible home, cover specialized equipment, and cover the ongoing care Lois will require. 

Oliver now wants to spread awareness and warn people that even if they think the supplements they are taking are safe, there still can be serious health consequences in an attempt to educate consumers to recognize that wellness supplements are not necessarily safe.  

Conclusion 

Even though herbal supplements are known for their therapeutic benefits, the fact that they are labelled as “natural” does not imply that they do not cause metabolic side effects or severe organ toxicity. Thus, before blindly following any social media trend that provides medical advice, one should think about the side effects and health implications. 

(Rh/APC/MSM)