Bruce Lee died from drinking too much water, new study claims
- Brain swelling was ruled as cause of death, but researchers say real reason may have been hyponatraemia, when a person cannot get rid of water fast enough
- Martial arts star drank a lot of fluids, including alcohol and juice, and also had a kidney injury, both risk factors for the condition
Nearly 50 years after Bruce Lee’s death, new research suggests the movie star’s sudden passing was caused by drinking too much water.
The martial arts master died in Hong Kong in July 1973, with brain swelling ruled as the cause of death.
A study published in the December issue of Clinical Kidney Journal, however, claims Lee drank more water than his body could handle, and that the real cause of death was hyponatraemia.
The condition occurs when the amount of water in a person’s body reduces the sodium levels in their blood, preventing them from excreting water through urinating fast or efficiently enough.
Lee, who died at age 32, had a “chronic fluid intake” that included alcohol and a juice-based diet, used marijuana and previously injured his kidneys doing martial arts – all risk factors for hyponatraemia, the study says.