When Chris Herrera was 15 years old, he lost 56 pounds. Little did he know that the supplement he was taking could have cost him his life.
Chris began taking a green tea extract that claimed to be a fat burner.
"People may not realize dietary supplements can cause adverse effects but each year thousands of people are treated in emergency departments because of adverse events related to these supplements," said Dr. Andrew Geller, medical officer in CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.
But it isn't just diet pills: Another woman was diagnosed with hepatitis from drinking green tea, while another got aspartame poisoning from drinking diet soda. Health supplements when taken without the approval of a doctor can cause serious complications even if they are herbal, vitamins, or minerals.
Around 23,000 people end up in the emergency room each year due to supplements according to the CDC and FDA.
"More than 20 percent of emergency room visits were young children getting into supplements meant for somebody else," Geller said.
The FDA does not regulate vitamins and supplements so when you take them, you do so at your own risk.
When Chris' eyes turned yellow after taking the green tea extract, doctors alerted him that his liver was failing.
"Having to hear the doctor tell me every day that Christopher had a 50 percent chance of dying and not making it, it was hurtful, hoping every day he'd get better soon," she said. Thankfully, Chris recovered.
The most common symptoms of supplement-related complications: chest pain, heart palpitations and tachycardia.
The best prevention: consulting with your doctor before taking a supplement and telling him or her when you do.
See more information on this important subject in the video below.
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h/t: CBS News
