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The Australian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Australian
Australian supplement company Blackmores facing potential class action lawsuit
Australian supplement giant Blackmores is facing potential class-action lawsuit, over claims that excessive levels of vitamin B6 in some of the company's over-the-counter products have led to serious health complications. Dominic Noonan-O'Keeffe began taking Blackmores supplements in May 2023 to support his health, ahead of the birth of his first child. Unaware the magnesium product contained potentially 'toxic' levels of vitamin B6, he claims he soon developed severe symptoms – including fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, and loss of sensation, according to Polaris lawyers. Doctors later diagnosed him with neuropathy linked to excessive B6 intake. Despite stopping in early 2024, Mr Noonan-O'Keeffe claims he continues to suffer daily from nerve pain and other symptoms. Polaris Lawyers – who are representing Mr Noonan-O'Keeffe, the lead plaintiff in the potential class-action – allege they later discovered the magnesium product contained about 29 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin B6. Mr Noonan-O'Keeffe claims he suffered lasting health impacts after taking Blackmores Magnesium+. Picture: Supplied Polaris Lawyers is now investigating a proposed class action against Blackmores for the excessive B6 levels in their vitamin supplements. 'It's alarming to walk down the vitamin aisle of any chemist in Australia and see vitamin supplements containing levels of B6 which are far and above the recommended daily intake,' Polaris Lawyers Founder and Principal Nick Mann said. 'What happened to Dominic is tragic, but he is not alone – we are aware of reports that excessive levels of B6 in over-the-counter supplements may have caused lasting injuries to hundreds of Australians. 'Polaris Lawyers is currently investigating a class action on behalf of anyone who has suffered injuries as a result of excessive levels of B6 as a result of taking Blackmores vitamin supplements.' Blackmores is one of the country's biggest supplement providers. Picture: Supplied In an interim decision report released in June, the TGA acknowledged no clear consensus on a safe vitamin B6 level that fully prevents peripheral neuropathy. The decision proposed rescheduling products containing over 50mg per day as 'Pharmacist Only Medicines.' A Blackmores spokesperson said they were aware of the TGA's proposed changes. 'At Blackmores, we are committed to the highest standards of product quality and consumer safety. All our products, including those containing Vitamin B6, are developed in strict accordance with the regulatory requirements of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA),' the spokesperson said. 'This includes compliance with maximum permitted daily doses and the inclusion of mandated warning statements. 'We acknowledge the interim decision issued by the TGA and we will ensure full compliance with its final determination.' Amelia Swan Journalist Amelia Swan joined News Corp as a cadet reporter in 2024. Amelia Swan
Times
18-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Would you try the coconut ‘cortisol cocktail'?
How will you unwind this evening? Nice cup of tea? Large gin and tonic? Or how about a 'cortisol cocktail', the latest viral sensation that promises to relieve stress without the use of alcohol and has got people on TikTok and Instagram frantically excited. The recipe is available in many different variations online but generally consists of coconut water, orange juice, lemon juice, magnesium powder, salt and sparkling water. It's billed as a potent concoction that apparently restores energy and regulates the stress hormone cortisol. 'You not only will feel 210 per cent happier, your memory increases, stress goes down, and you'll get those hormones in check,' says one gushing Insta post. Or how about: 'You will stop anxious feelings, stop depressive thoughts, regulate blood sugars and sleep better and longer.' • Feeling tired? How to boost your energy to avoid an afternoon slump While becoming '210 per cent happier' would be amazing — imagine! — even if my stress levels were slightly reduced I'd be delighted. So despite my scepticism, I find a recipe that looks doable and set about trying it for myself. I find magnesium citrate powder in the chemist on the high street (£17.99) and purloin some posh coconut water, plus a few ripe oranges and a lemon from the corner shop. It comes to about £20 — about the cost of a fancy cocktail in a bar. I measure out 200ml coconut water, add a teaspoon of magnesium, 50ml freshly squeezed orange juice, the juice of half a lemon, a quarter teaspoon of fine salt, and a few glugs of sparkling water. I mix it up — it's a pretty pale orange hue with a delicate froth — and serve it in a cocktail glass. Twenty minutes later I perhaps do feel a bit calmer, but I've somehow lost my wallet in my own home, my husband is griping about traffic on the North Circular, and my son is using a circular saw in the basement. At this moment, I wish the cortisol cocktail contained diazepam. I seek the opinion of Dr Mithu Storoni, a University of Cambridge-trained physician and neuroscientist and the author of Stress Proof and Hyperefficient. Just between us, I ask her, is it nonsense? 'Actually, I approve of this cocktail,' she says. 'I'd probably take it after exercise or before bed for maximum effect. It's much more calming and much better for your cortisol levels than an alcoholic cocktail, or even a high-sugar non-alcoholic alternative, most of which are really high in glucose syrup. They spike your insulin. They're horrible for you.' • Is my cortisol level to blame for my irritable mood? The cortisol cocktail contains no refined sugar, which is a plus for Storoni. 'I would definitely go for this if I had a cocktail menu in front of me. Coconut water is famous for having a very high amount of electrolytes — potassium especially, and sodium — which are great for hydration. And if you're dehydrated, that can raise your cortisol levels. In the hot summer, if you're dehydrated you are more likely to feel stressed, so having coconut water could help.' There's more. 'I like the addition of a quarter teaspoon of fine salt,' she says. 'For most healthy people who don't suffer from raised blood pressure, restricting your sodium too much can have net negative effects, which include an increase in adrenaline.' Plus, she adds, 'in the summer, when we're all sweating, exercising, at risk of low sodium levels but otherwise healthy, then low sodium can increase your feelings of anxiety and stress.' If this is the case, 'having sodium can lower your stress reactivity and make you calmer'. There's good data on magnesium too, she says. 'Magnesium has a very calming effect. It's been shown to improve sleep in people with insomnia.' In addition, 'combined with vitamin C, it reduced premenstrual or menopausal anxiety in one study'. • As a lifelong insomniac, can magnesium really help me sleep? Can men benefit too? Storoni cites a randomised controlled trial looking at reductions in cortisol concentrations in male rugby players following magnesium supplementation (500mg per day over four weeks — a little more than in a cortisol cocktail). Researchers found 'magnesium supplementation affected serum cortisol levels, most significantly before the game, pointing to magnesium's role in the reduction of stress-anticipating anxiety,' she says. As for the citrus elements of the cortisol cocktail, 'the lemon juice and orange juice both contain vitamin C, assuming they're fresh, and vitamin C has been shown to have an antioxidant effect which can improve your state of stress,' Storoni says. 'Antioxidants are always good for stress because when you have physiological stress you are also increasing oxidative stress at a cellular level, which they will then combat. And coconut water contains them too.' So when these wellness influencers swear this drink is regulating your cortisol, they're not wrong? 'If you get stressed your cortisol level rises,' Storoni says. 'Anything that has a calming effect, reduces your stress reactivity, will end up regulating your cortisol. All those TikTokkers may be on to something.'
