The recent surge in popularity of 'eating albumin' nutritional supplements has led to over 1200 different products in circulation. Advertisements claim that these supplements can alleviate fatigue, cure hangovers, enhance physical strength, and boost immunity. However, the medical community has expressed skepticism over these claims, indicating that these supplements might offer little to no real benefits. The Korean Society of Hepatology plans to issue an expert opinion regarding albumin-related products in the near future.

Albumin is a protein component made in the liver, constituting a significant part of the blood plasma which excludes red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It plays critical roles, including maintaining blood osmotic pressure and transporting substances such as fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin, and calcium. In a healthy individual, albumin is consistently synthesized by the liver and excreted through urine, and therefore, does not need to be supplemented unless there are specific health issues.

In cases of liver disease, kidney disease, malnutrition, sepsis, severe bleeding, or burns, albumin levels can drop, potentially causing symptoms like edema or abdominal effusion due to the inability to retain water in the blood vessels. Albumin supplementation in such cases should occur in a medical setting via intravenous administration of albumin extracted from human plasma. It is important to note that 'eating albumin' typically refers to health food products containing egg white protein, which, due to its large molecular size, is not absorbed by the body in its original form but rather broken down into smaller amino acids during digestion, with no direct increase in liver synthesis of albumin reported.