Consumption of Herbalife products to acute liver failure, according to a case study report published by medical staff in India.

The report also details heavy metal, toxic compounds, psychotropic substance and bacterial contamination.

The case report was published in the March-April 2019 edition of the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology.

Titled “Slimming to the Death: Herbalife -Associated Fatal Acute Liver Failure—Heavy Metals, Toxic Compounds, Bacterial Contaminants and Psychotropic Agents in Products Sold in India”, the report is co-authored by staff from

The Liver Unit, The Cochin Gastroenterology Group, Ernakulam Medical Centre, Kochi, Kerala;

Medgenome Labs, Narayana Health City, Bommasandra, Bengaluru, Karnataka; and

Envirodesigns Ecolabs, Eco Tower, Palarivattom, Kochi, Kerala

According to the report, ‘
India is fast becoming the largest growing market for Herbalife products
‘.

Although it hasn’t yet, sales revenue in India ‘
is expected
to surpass United States in sales revenue in the coming years
‘.

Citing the many Herbalife nutrition clubs that have popped up, the report states the clubs are promising ‘
fake health benefits (which) portend a serious public health concern
‘.

The documented Herbalife acute liver case was the result of ‘
a young woman who consumed three products over a period of 2 months
‘.

Herbalife products consumed daily  by the woman include

Formula 1 Shake Mix, two scoops twice daily with skimmed milk; Personalized Protein Powder, two tablespoons into the Shake Mix twice daily and Afresh Energy Drink, 10 g twice daily.

The products were purchased from a local Herbalife nutrition club.

After 2 months, she developed progressive loss of appetite for a week, followed by jaundice and transient pruritus.

Blood work was taken at this point and analyzed.

Twelve days later, jaundice worsened and she was brought to our emergency in grade 3 hepatic encephalopathy.

A transjugular liver biopsy showed extensive periportal and perivenular bridging necrosis with moderate-to-severe mixed inflammatory infiltration, inter- face hepatitis, cholangitis, severe ballooning, steatosis and intracanalicular cholestasis.

With fulfilment of King’s College criteria, the patient was urgently referred to a transplant centre, but she passed away on wait list soon after.

Similar Herbalife liver failure cases reported in Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Iceland, Argentina and the US are referenced.

The estimated incidence of liver toxicity is 25-30 cases per 100,000 consumers of Herbalife products.

No further cases have been observed after the latest series in 2015 until now.

Medical staff were unable to retrieve product samples from the victim’s family, but were able to source the same product from the nutritional club.

This nutritional club was functioning without a licence, selling Herbalife products in the name of health and wellness and was eventually shutdown by the Department of Health Services, Government of Ker

🤖 Quick Answer

What health risks are associated with Herbalife products according to Indian medical research?
A 2019 case study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology documents Herbalife product consumption linked to acute liver failure in India. The investigation identified heavy metal contamination, toxic compounds, bacterial contaminants, and psychotropic substances in products sold domestically, raising significant public health concerns regarding product safety and regulatory standards.

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