A man in his 20s, identified as A, believed that he could lose weight in a short period by taking diet health supplements all at once and made a bulk purchase. On the sixth day of taking the supplements, he experienced abdominal pain, and by the seventh day, he started having diarrhea, prompting him to stop taking the supplements. However, his symptoms worsened. A eventually received treatment at a general hospital, and after taking prescribed medication, his symptoms improved.
A woman in her 30s, identified as B, experienced stomach pain and nausea starting the morning after she took a health supplement. The next day, she noticed hives on her face, which then spread to her neck and shoulders. As her symptoms worsened, B visited a dermatology clinic, where she was prescribed an injection and advised by her doctor to stop taking the health supplement. B had allergies to pomegranate, turmeric, and shellfish, and while consulting the health supplement adverse event reporting center, she belatedly confirmed that the product labeling included a warning regarding potential allergic reactions to pomegranate.
The Food Safety Information Center under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety publicly disclosed representative cases of unusual symptoms or diseases occurring after the consumption of health supplements on the 27th. The center emphasized the importance of checking the ingredients and cautions before taking health supplements.
It is possible to experience unusual symptoms if functional ingredients are consumed redundantly, or if the individual components interfere with each other's absorption. In particular, since the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety began piloting the allowance of personal transactions of health supplements from May, extra caution is needed.
According to the Food Safety Information Center, a total of 1,966 adverse cases related to health supplements were reported from December last year to November this year. This is an increase of 574 cases compared to 1,392 cases during the same period last year. Among the reported cases, 1,367 involved women, accounting for 69.5%, while 420 involved men, making up 21.4%. Excluding cases where age information was difficult to confirm (48.8%), the age distribution was 25.7% for those over 60, 11.2% for those in their 50s, 6.6% for those in their 40s, and 3.8% for those in their 30s.
Specific symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms such as indigestion at 44.6% and skin symptoms such as itching at 18.4%, which comprised the majority. There were also symptoms like dizziness, chest tightness, and thirst. It has been noted that one individual may experience multiple symptoms.
In 2020, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety designated the Food Safety Information Center as a specialized institution to identify the causes of unforeseen adverse cases in the development and manufacturing stages of functional ingredients and health supplements, aiming to manage and prevent similar occurrences. Consequently, the center operates an adverse event reporting center for health supplements and is responsible for investigating and analyzing causal relationships.
According to the center, inquiries such as, 'I want to lose weight quickly, but will taking two fat-reducing health supplements at once help?' 'I experienced abdominal pain after taking the supplements; should I stop taking them?' and 'I felt nauseated after only taking supplements without eating for a day' have been received. The Food Safety Information Center stated, 'When taking health supplements, it is essential to check the product labeling regarding ingredients, recommended daily intake, consumption methods, and precautions. If consuming multiple health supplements at once, caution is needed as there may be overlapping ingredients with the same or similar functional properties.'
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requires that if raw materials that can cause allergies are included, the name of those raw materials must be indicated on the health supplement information label. Additionally, consumers should be cautious not to exceed the recommended daily intake set by the Ministry.
Health supplement companies must report unusual cases received from consumers to the Food Safety Information Center or the Food Safety National Portal of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Adverse cases that result in death or have a significant impact on a person's life or health must be reported within seven days, while other adverse cases should be reported within 15 days. The Food Safety Information Center stated, 'In addition to the product name and adverse case details, information regarding the duration of consumption, amount consumed, pre-existing health conditions and medications of the person experiencing the adverse case, as well as their gender and age, is necessary. To accurately investigate and analyze the causes, as much information as possible needs to be gathered.'