Imagine resorting to vitamin supplements to improve your skin, hair, and nail health, only to have them backfire and leave you with a much more serious health concern!
Jenny Ramirez from Texas is paying a hefty price for opting for over-the-counter vitamin supplements she picked up to boost her skin, hair, and nail health.
What happened?
Jenny Ramirez of Fort Worth, Texas, revealed that she had been on her weight loss journey for months. Despite seeing positive results, the mother of four noticed some negative ones as well, and hair loss was one of them. Thinking of hair loss as a result of nutrient or protein deficiencies, Ramirez began taking a common over-the-counter vitamin that claimed to improve hair, skin, and nail health.
However, soon after beginning the vitamins in late February, she began noticing yellowing of her eyes and skin.
Her doctors discovered that she was experiencing liver failure, which her gastroenterologist attributed to a typically innocuous ingredient called methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in her vitamin.
Although research has found MSM to be generally benign and even protective against liver damage, according to some scientists, MSM could exacerbate liver damage in people with pre-existing liver disease.
However, no cases of this have been reported.
The aftermath:
Ramirez revealed that she became jaundiced, with yellowing skin and eyes, and she also underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder because of hard deposits that had built up there, blocking the flow of bile through the liver and gallbladder.
The gallbladder stores and releases the digestive fluid produced by the liver. But doctors may have to remove it if hard deposits form there, blocking the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder.
Although the mother of four did not reveal how her doctor concluded that MSM was the culprit, though supplements, which are not regulated by the FDA, can be contaminated along the production line or come in dosages that are far higher than recommended, Ramirez warned her TikTok followers of the risk of taking the supplement, which was made and sold by a [popular drugstore, from her hospital bed.
Ramirez said in her TikTok video, “They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, apart from needing my gallbladder removed. They thought I had hepatitis, and [the tests] were all negative, negative, negative, negative. They’re like, have you started any new medicine? I’m like, no. [They asked] Have you started a new multivitamin or any vitamins?”
She also explained that as she had already shed pounds, she had taken more supplements to stay strong and replenish any vitamin deficiencies from changing her diet. Among them was a supplement designed to strengthen the protein in hair and nails, boost collagen, and increase levels of minerals like zinc and vitamin E.
Ramirez said, “It didn’t click to me to be like, oh, I started a hair, nails [vitamin]. So today, my GI doctor came in. He’s like have you started a hair growth vitamin? And I’m like, yeah.”
The doctor told her that she ‘induced liver failure.’
The Texan woman added, “Be very careful doing these vitamins, these supplements.”
She also revealed that her case is seemingly rare, as there are no similar instances recorded in humans or mice in the medical literature.
Ramirez wrote on her GoFundMe page: “I would never think I would be in this spot in a million years.”
What is MSM?
Dimethyl sulfone is an organosulfur compound with the formula (CH₃)₂SO₂. It is also known by several other names, including methyl sulfone and methylsulfonylmethane. This colorless solid features the sulfonyl functional group and is the simplest of the sulfones.
Laboratory studies have found that MSM has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Sulphur, which is a major component of MSM, plays an important role in making collagen and glucosamine, both of which are vital for healthy bones and joints, and in the production of immunoglobulins, which help your immune system.
As a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) approved substance, MSM is well-tolerated by most individuals at dosages of up to four grams daily, with few known and mild side effects. However, in some people, MSM might cause nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and stomach discomfort. When applied to the skin, MSM is possibly safe when used in combination with other ingredients, such as silymarin or hyaluronic acid and tea tree oil, for up to 20 days.
Is MSM good for your body?
A 2018 study in rats found MSM protected them from liver damage due to high doses of acetaminophen, marketed as Tylenol.
Another study in rats found that a high dose of MSM, about five grams per kilogram in rats, did not cause liver toxicity.
Trials in humans yielded similar results, with finding no toxic effects on the liver in people taking six grams per day of MSM for three months.
Another published in the journal Nutrients found that the substance was ‘well tolerated’ in people with arthritis, adding that ‘Emerging research suggests that MSM may one day aid in the treatment of various types of cancer.’
However, MSM can prove harmful in very high doses.
A 2013 study in Springer Nature demonstrated that while animals administered standard human-equivalent doses showed beneficial effects on knee cartilage health, those receiving doses 100-fold higher exhibited atrophy of multiple organs, including the liver and spleen.