The New York Post reported yesterday that a 25-year-old woman in Australia died after consuming too much protein, such as shakes, supplements and protein-packed foods.

The woman, a bodybuilder named Meegan Hefford, fell unconscious in the apartment and was taken to hospital.

Hayford was declared brain dead by doctors and died two days later, the New York Post reported.

After Hayford's death, doctors discovered she had a rare disease called a urea cycle disorder, which affects the way the body breaks down protein.

7 Foods You Can Overdose What Is Urea Cycle Disorder and How Too Much Protein Can Cause Death When a person eats protein, the body breaks down a large amount of nutrients into its component parts, called amino acids.

According to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, after the body uses up the amino acids it needs, it converts the remaining amino acids into nitrogen and excretes them from the body.

To remove nitrogen, enzymes convert this chemical into a compound called urea, a process called the urea cycle.

The substance is then excreted in the person's urine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital said.

, but when a person has a urea cycle disorder, the body is unable to convert nitrogen into urea.

According to the Genetic and Rare Disease Information Center (GARD), this causes nitrogen to build up in the body's blood in the form of ammonia, a highly toxic substance.

Gadde said too much ammonia in the blood can cause irreversible brain damage, coma or death.

Urea cycle disorders result from a defect in one of the six enzymes in the body responsible for converting nitrogen into urea, Gade said.

According to Cincinnati Children's Research, these disorders are hereditary, meaning they are passed from parents to children.

Symptoms of urea cycle disorders depend on the severity of the condition.

For example, a severe urea cycle disorder means a person has little activity in an essential enzyme.

According to the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation (NUCDF), in people with milder forms of the disease, enzyme activity levels may be lower than in healthy people.

For example, if a baby is born with a severe urea cycle disorder, symptoms will appear around 24 hours after birth.

These babies may develop seizures and breathing problems and may slip into coma, NUCDF said. Urea cycle disorders are rare; Cincinnati Children's Research says about 1/3 of newborns are affected.

Symptoms of mild to moderate urea cycle disorders may appear in childhood and may initially include refusal to eat high-protein foods, failure to thrive and crying, according to the NUCDF.

As the disease progresses, children may develop vomiting, lethargy, and delirium.

If left untreated, this condition can lead to coma and death.

People with mild urea cycle disorders may not be diagnosed until adulthood, NUCDF said.

High-protein diets and excessive exercise can trigger symptoms, as can childbirth and certain viruses.

In some adults and children, stress can also trigger symptoms, according to Cincinnati Children's Research Institute. Although there is no cure for urea cycle disorder, the condition can be managed with a low-protein diet and certain medications that help remove ammonia from the body.

, says Cincinnati Children's Research Institute.

Sometimes, a person may also need to supplement with amino acids to ensure that the body is getting the functions it needs.

In severe cases of these diseases, doctors may recommend a liver transplant, Cincinnati Children's said.

The liver produces enzymes involved in the urea cycle.

Originally published in the journal Life Sciences.