Latest news with #Dipa
Irish Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Urgent warning as Ireland's most common painkiller linked to killer illness
A stark alert has been sounded over a widely-used medication in Ireland that could be stealthily inflicting damage on your liver. The tablet, commonly taken for ailments ranging from headaches to muscle aches, is typically safe if the advised dose isn't surpassed. Kingston University's senior lecturer in pharmacy practice, Dipa Kamdar, cautioned that even slightly exceeding the recommended amount of this drug can pose "extremely dangerous" risks to liver health. While many might think alcohol consumption is the main culprit behind liver harm, Dipa highlighted several "often overlooked" daily practices that could lead to grave outcomes like cirrhosis – irreversible liver scarring – or outright liver failure. She pointed out that indulging in high-sugar or high-saturated fat foods, smoking, and insufficient exercise are all potential pathways to these perilous conditions, as is the overconsumption of paracetamol, reports the Mirror. "Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible," Dipa penned in The Conversation. "One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea. "As the damage advances, more pronounced indicators can appear. One of the most noticeable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow." The WHO indicate a 452% increase in liver deaths between 1971 and 2012 in Ireland. Live disease is also one of the most common illnesses in Ireland. The breakdown of paracetamol in the liver generates a toxic by-product named NAPQI, normally counteracted by glutathione, a protective agent. However, excessive dosages mean the body becomes swamped with toxins, potentially overwhelming the liver. Dipa issued a stark caution: "In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells," this potentially causing acute liver failure, which may lead to death. "Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm. Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly." There's been a raft of studies concerning the risks associated with paracetamol consumption, some of which ties even minimal doses to liver failure. Writing for The Conversation, University of Oxford's honorary senior research fellow Andrew Moore highlighted: "Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief. The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Urgent warning as world's most common painkiller linked to killer disease
The drug - which is the first line of defence against a number of common ailments - could be causing irreparable damage to your liver, according to a senior pharmacy practice lecturer at Kingston University An urgent warning has been issued about one of the world's most common drugs - which could secretly be harming your liver. The pill - which is used for anything from headaches to muscle pain - is generally safe as long as the recommended dosage isn't exceeded. Senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University, Dipa Kamdar, has warned that even taking a few pills over the recommendation could have "extremely dangerous" consequences for your liver. Most people would assume that drinking alcohol is the primary cause of liver damage, but Dipa warned there are a number of "often overlooked" everyday habits that can "eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver - or liver failure". She said that eating foods high in sugar or saturated fat, smoking, and exercising enough can all lead to the life-threatening conditions, as can taking too much paracetamol. "Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible," Dipa wrote in The Conversation. "One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea. "As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow." Each year, liver disease kills more than 11,000 people in the UK - which amounts to more than 31 deaths each day, according to The British Liver Trust. The charity warned that while deaths from other major diseases are falling, deaths from liver disease have quadrupled in the past five decades. When paracetamol is broken down by the liver, it produces a toxic by-product called NAPQI - which is usually neutralised by a protective substance called glutathione. However, when someone takes too much of the drug, the body is flooded with the toxins and the liver can become overwhelmed. Dipa explained: "In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells," Dipa warned. This can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal. "Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm. Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly." Researchers have undertaken numerous studies into the dangers of taking paracetamol, with some linking low doses to liver failure. Honorary senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, Andrew Moore, wrote in The Conversation : "Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief. The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk."
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Urgent paracetamol warning as world's most common painkiller is linked to disease that kills 30 Brits every day
Taking more than the recommended dose can 'overwhelm' your liver - with dangerous consequences DRUG ALERT Urgent paracetamol warning as world's most common painkiller is linked to disease that kills 30 Brits every day A PHARMACIST has issued a warning about the world's most used painkiller paracetamol, warning it could be "quietly harming" your liver. The pill is safe to take for headaches, muscle pain and fever, as long as you're sticking to recommended amounts. Advertisement 2 Exceeding recommended doses of paracetamol could lead to liver damage Credit: Getty But "taking too much – even slightly exceeding the recommended dose – can be extremely dangerous for your liver", warned Dipa Kamdar, a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University. It's easy to assume that alcohol is the main culprit of liver damage. "In fact, many everyday habits, often overlooked, can slowly cause damage that may eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver - or liver failure," the pharmacist wrote in The Conversation. This can include eating foods high in saturated fat or sugar, as well as smoking or not exercising enough - as well as taking too much paracetamol. Advertisement "Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible," Dipa said. "One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea. "As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow." Liver disease kills more than 11,000 people in the UK each year, according to The British Liver Trust. Advertisement That amounts to more than 31 deaths a day, the charity said. It warned that liver disease deaths in the UK have quadrupled in the last 50 years, at the same time as deaths from other major diseases have fallen. Scientists discover that even really low doses of paracetamol could damage your heart Dipa explained paracetamol could be dangerous to the liver due to the way the organ processes the painkiller. As it breaks down the drug, it produces a toxic by-product called NAPQI. Advertisement Normally, the body neutralises this by producing a protective substance known as glutathione. But in high doses, the liver can become overwhelmed, potentially leading to potentially life-threatening damage. "In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells," Dipa warned. "This can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal. Advertisement "Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm," the pharmacist went on. "Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly." 2 Studies have looked into the potential dangers of taking paracetamol. Advertisement Research published in 2013 showed a link between liver failure and low doses of paracetamol. As Andrew Moore, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, wrote in The Conversation: "Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief. "The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk." Other habits damaging your liver Dipa shared other habits that may be silently damaging your liver. Advertisement Drinking too much alcohol is the obvious one. When you drink, your liver works to break down the alcohol and clear it from your system, but having too much of it at once overwhelms this process and causes toxic by products to build up and damage liver cells. This can cause fat to accumulate in the liver and continued drinking can progress it to alcoholic hepatitis and then cirrhosis. Experts recommend sticking to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, and including alcohol-free days to give your liver time to recover. Advertisement It's also worth taking a look at your diet to protect your liver, as foods high in saturated fat - like red meat, fried foods and processed snacks - can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to liver fat accumulation. Symptoms of liver disease Most types of liver disease do not cause any symptoms in the early stages. Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis. Symptoms of cirrhosis include: Feeling very tired and weak all the time Loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss Loss of sex drive (libido) Yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) Itchy skin Feeling or being sick Source: NHS Sugary foods and drinks are also a major risk factor, the pharmacist said. Not exercising enough can contribute to weight gain, which ups the risk of liver disease. But exercising can benefit your liver even in you don't lose weight, Dipa noted. Advertisement Finally, the chemicals from cigarette smoke can make your liver work harder and contribute to cirrhosis. The British Liver Trust says 90 per cent of liver disease cases can be prevented by lifestyle changes. "You can protect [your liver] by drinking alcohol in moderation, quitting smoking, taking medications responsibly, eating a balanced diet, staying active and keeping hydrated," Dipa said.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Sipping pee to cure ailments? Why celebrity claims don't hold water
Dipa Kamdar TV star Bear Grylls says he does it for survival — and teaches his reality show contestants to do the same. Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez practised this therapy to train for his 2009 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr (he lost). Former Indian prime minister Morarji Desai claimed a daily glass of the stuff was a remedy for many diseases and contributed to his longevity. What is the therapy these celebrities practice? Urophagia , also known as urine therapy, is the practice of drinking urine. Whether the urine is your own, someone else's or even obtained from an animal, people have been drinking pee as medicine for thousands of years. Most claims about urine therapy are based on anecdotes or ancient texts with no robust scientific evidence to support the benefits. However, there's evidence to show drinking urine has a number of health risks. In Ayurveda, urine was used to treat asthma, allergies, indigestion, wrinkles and even cancer. As a rudimentary test for diabetes, doctors used to taste urine to check how sweet it was. Now, of course, we have urine test strips to check for glucose. Historically, drinking pee to treat illnesses may have made sense because of a lack of medical alternatives. But, as urine-sipping celebrities show, the practice is still followed today. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Waste not, want not? Urine is made by the body to get rid of waste. It is mostly made up of water (about 95%) and several waste products, including urea (2%), which is made by the liver after breaking down proteins in the body, creatinine, which is left over from energy-releasing processes in the muscles, and salts. If urine is just waste, how could drinking it be beneficial? The kidneys act as regulators — not just to get rid of toxins but to remove anything that it doesn't need. For example, excess vitamins that aren't needed by the body are found in urine. Drinking urine means these vitamins and minerals are getting recycled instead of being wasted — this also goes for other hormones, proteins and antibodies that can be found in urine. However, the amounts of these substances in a glass of urine are unlikely to be enough to be beneficial. A vitamin supplement may be more effective. Other modern uses also include cleansing and detoxification — some people have claimed continually drinking recycled urine leads to cleaner urine and blood by removing toxins and leading to better overall health. However, there's no scientific evidence to support any of these claims. Urine does contain urea, which is often added to skin care products as a moisturiser. But the concentration of urea in urine is unlikely to be high enough to have this effect. Urine also contains dehydroepiandrosterone, a steroid hormone produced by the body that declines with age, which has been marketed as an anti-ageing ingredient — but there isn't enough data to demonstrate its efficacy. Risky business Research has found that urine contains low levels of bacteria. Drinking urine, then, can introduce bacteria and toxins into the gut and potentially cause further illness like stomach infections. Urine becomes more concentrated when it comes out again — the kidneys may have to work harder to filter out the excess, putting extra strain on them. The kidneys need water to process these salts. Drinking urine means you have to pee out more water than you get from it, which speeds up dehydration — it's similar to drinking seawater. Some drugs, such as penicillin, antibiotics or heart medicines, are also excreted in the urine — drinking urine can cause toxic levels of these drugs to build up in the body. Mainstream medical communities do not endorse urine therapy as it lacks scientific evidence. Small amounts of urine drinking are unlikely to be harmful. But for tangible health benefits, other therapies with scientific evidence may be the way to go. Dipa Kamdar is senior lecturer, Kingston University
