Mother demands stricter regulations of fitness supplements after daughter, 25, dies from too many 'protein shakes'

A mother has spoken out about the potential dangers of workout supplements and the need for regulations on such products after her daughter died from consuming too much protein from health shakes.

Meegan Hefford, 25, was pronounced brain dead on 22 June 2017, three days after she was found unconscious in her apartment in Mandurah, West Australia.

According to her mum, Michelle White, the mother-of-two had been obsessed with her physique and working out as a result of postpartum depression she experienced after the birth of her first child.

Hefford had been in the process of training for a bodybuilding competition when she died.

However, the 25-year-old had not known that she had urea cycle disorder, a genetic condition that makes it difficult for the body to break down protein and eventually causes a build-up of ammonia in the bloodstream.

“It was a genetic condition that made it hard for the body to remove harmful waste products leftover from the digestion of proteins found in the shakes she consumed daily,” White told The Mirror.

“It was a silent killer, and the endless protein shakes and dangerous dieting were Meegan’s downfall.”

According to White, in addition to an intense workout regime, her daughter was following a diet plan created for her by a personal trainer that was packed with protein and taking protein supplements in addition to her daily protein shake.

In the days before Hefford died, White recalls her daughter complained of feeling lethargic and exhausted, despite looking fit on the outside.

After agreeing to take a few days off from training, White told the outlet she received a call that her daughter had been found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital, where she saw her “usually healthy and fit girl lying on a bed covered in wires”.

Now, two years after the unexpected death of her otherwise healthy daughter, whose organs were donated to four people in need, White is urging the health industry to take the proper precautions when it comes to selling and recommending supplements and diets.

“I want the health industry to enforce regulations on the sale of protein powder and supplements,” White said. “Only certified nutritionists should offer advice on dieting, and I urge people to get medical checks before drastically changing their food intake.”

Earlier this year, an inquest into body-building substances launched by the Ministry of Health in Australia concluded that “if prohibited sports supplements had been more strictly monitored,” Hefford may have survived, The Mirror reports.

On Hefford’s death certificate, it lists urea cycle disorder and “intake of bodybuilding supplements” as the two causes of death.

According to Harvard Medical School, protein powders can come with potential health risks including consumption of non-FDA-approved ingredients, digestive stress, and high sugar intake.

Registered dietician Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, said: “I don’t recommend using protein powders except in a few instances, and only with supervision.”