How drinking protein shake led to the death of a 16-year-old Indian boy

Protein shakes, which are widely used for gaining muscle and improving performance and recovery can reportedly also lead to life-altering diseases.

Back in August 2020, a 16-year-old boy of Indian origin residing in London died after consuming a protein shake. According to multiple reports, Rohan Godhania, who was admitted to West Middlesex Hospital, had suffered ‘irreversible brain damage’ due to its consumption.

Speaking about the incident Rohan’s father said that he had brought the protein shake for his son because he was ‘too skinny’. Reports suggested that after drinking the shake he showed no signs that could be considered peculiar. However, things soon started to go downhill as he complained of a stomach ache. Following this, he vomited multiple times before he had to be admitted to the hospital. After three days he sadly succumbed to his condition.

Initially, it was difficult to find out the cause of death from his post-mortem reports. Later it was ruled that the cause of his sudden death was due to transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency which is a rare genetic disorder. If reports were to be believed, this was caused due to the consumption of a protein shake.

What is OTC deficiency?

An image depicting OTC deficiency in humans (Image via Google)

OTC or Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency is a rare genetic disorder that is caused due to a spike in Ammonia in your bloodstream. Ammonia is a naturally occurring waste product component in your body. However, if there is an excess of it in the blood, it can cause irreversible damage to the body. The central nervous system is particularly vulnerable to such sudden changes.

Symptoms suggesting OTC deficiency

OTC deficiencies are rare among adults and mostly occur within the infant population. Some of the common symptoms include:

inability to eat
nausea
vomiting
lethargy
seizures
difficulty in breathing
headache
brain fog

Events following Rohan’s death due to protein shake

Consumption of protein shakes are on the rise among the health-conscious population (Image via Google)

As expected, following his death, a string of conversations arose surrounding the safety of these so-called health drinks that allow fitness enthusiasts to achieve their body goals. After the incident came to light, UK officials started pushing for health warning labels on these shakes to prevent further adversities due to their consumption. Speaking to the Metro, Coroner Tom Osborne said:

“Concerning these protein drinks, my preliminary view about them is that I ought to write to one of the regulatory authorities that some sort of warning ought to be put on the packaging of these drinks because, although OTC is a rare condition, it can have harmful effects if someone drinks [one] and it causes a protein spike.”