Health risks rise from self-prescribing supplements via social media

Medical professionals are warning against the dangers of self-prescribing supplements based on social media trends. In one case, a 42-year-old woman in Vietnam experienced significantly elevated vitamin B12 levels—more than double the normal range—after following TikTok advice to take micronutrients for headaches for a year.

In a separate incident in the United States, 57-year-old Katie Mohan required hospitalization after consuming high doses of turmeric supplements to treat joint pain. Mohan experienced severe liver damage, with liver enzymes reaching 60 times the normal limit, nearly resulting in the need for a liver transplant.

Doctors emphasize that concentrated supplement forms can have vastly different effects than dietary intake and warn that unguided supplementation can lead to serious health complications, including toxicity and organ damage.