This female body builder died from the deadly combination.
Scores of people drink protein shakes to replenish after a hard workout. The drinks can provide you with the amino acids you need to help keep your muscles in the right protein balance and to grow.
If your health is similar to that of Megan Hefford of Australia, however, protein supplements could spell out bad news.
Tragically, Hefford, a 25-year old mother of two, passed away suddenly two years ago. A report on Fox News tells of how she had become obsessed with working out. Hefford had developed her physique as a body builder and was winning competitions with toned muscles that brought her many awards. One day, however, she collapsed.
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Experts at the local hospital said she was suffering from urea cycle disorder. This disorder is a genetic condition that affects the way your body digests protein, impacting the way your body removes ammonia from your bloodstream. When too much ammonia builds up, it results in permanent brain damage, and in Hefford’s situation, death.
Usually, urea cycle disorder is identified shortly after birth. There are a range of symptoms including vomiting, nausea, and mental confusion or hyperactive behavior. In Hefford’s case, it seems that her excessive use of protein supplements may have triggered the disorder, something that her mother and daughter have since been diagnosed as suffering from too.
Curious to know more? Click here to read about the disorder in detail.
