Take Dietary Supplement After Meals — Some, Like Saw Palmetto, Cause Nausea on an Empty Stomach
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Korea’s Food Safety Information Service warns consumers to check product labels and stop taking supplements if adverse effects appear. A reconstructed case described a man who took a weight-loss supplement on an empty stomach and had repeated nausea and later severe abdominal pain; the label actually advised taking it after meals. Some functional ingredients (e.g., saw palmetto (쏘팔메토) fruit extract) can cause gastrointestinal discomfort or diarrhea if taken fasting, so they should be taken after meals. Other ingredients—green tea extract, black tea extract, pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract), and certain protein or shellfish-derived components—also have specific timing or allergy cautions. People with conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, bleeding disorders, or those on anticoagulants should consult a professional before use. From Dec to Oct, 3,002 adverse-event reports were received, mostly gastrointestinal (44.9%) and skin (20.2%) symptoms; 10.5% required hospital treatment. The supplement market in Korea is nearly 6 trillion won, with popular items including red ginseng, probiotics, and vitamins. The agency urges following labeled dose, timing, and precautions and reporting any adverse events to the official center.
