Bruce Lee passed away at the age of 32 in July 1973. Nearly 50 years later now, a new study claims to reveal the exact reason behind his death. At the time of Bruce Lee’s death, officials said that the cause was cerebral oedema or brain swelling. It was thought to be a reaction to a painkiller he took then. The new research suggests that it was his “kidney’s inability to excrete excess water”.
The study was conducted by a group of kidney specialists in Spain. It was published in the December 2022 edition of the Clinical Kidney Journal.They propose that the kidney’s inability to excrete excess water killed Bruce Lee. Adding that Lee possessed, they wrote, “multiple risk factors for hyponatraemia” which is low level of sodium in blood.
Researchers claimed that Lee may have been consuming unusually high quantities of liquid due to his fluid diet. It consisted of a lot of juices and protein drinks, and the use of marijuana that leads to increased thirst.
Bruce Lee died from a specific form of kidney dysfunction
Bruce Lee had multiple risk factors predisposing him to hyponatraemia. This resulted to interference with water homeostasis mechanisms that regulate both water intake and water excretion. It is hypothesized by the researchers that Bruce Lee died from a specific form of kidney dysfunction: the inability to excrete enough water to maintain water homeostasis”. This, according to them, “hyponatraemia, cerebral oedema, and death within hours if excess water intake is not matched by water excretion in urine, which is in line with the timeline of Lee’s demise”. also read:-Comedian Joe Lycett performed a money stunt to get attention from David Beckham
The fact that we are 60% water does not protect us from the potentially lethal consequences of drinking water at a faster rate than our kidneys can excrete excess water. Excess water appears to have ultimately killed Bruce Lee.
Is the consumption of too much water harmful?
Numerous accounts of deaths occurr due to excessive water consumption. Too much water consumption can increase intracranial pressure. This can result in a variety of symptoms and, in extreme situations, be fatal. ‘Overhydration’ and ‘water intoxication’ occur when an individual consumes more water than their kidneys can eliminate through urine. Though, it is a very rare possibility of someone dying due to excessive intake of water. Excessive drinking of water is known as water intoxication or hyper hydration. It provokes disturbances in the electrolytes in our body which can, in turn, lead to a decline in sodium levels in the body. This cause seizures, cerebral oedema, and eventually, death.
