One Man Drank 8 Bottles Of Coconut Water A Day, This Is Why He Ended Up In An Emergency Room

More and more people constantly find out about the health benefits of coconut water. However, just like all other ingredients, coconut water needs to be consumed in moderate quantities, as its excess consumption can contribute to some serious health issues.

The Circulation has published a study under the name “Death by Coconut”, which has been done by Justin Hakimian, MD, and his team at the Department of Cardiology, New York Hospital Queens.

The study has revealed and researched the case of a 42-year old man who experienced abnormal heart rhythms and fainting after drinking large amounts of coconut water. This was the result of him taking in extremely high amounts of potassium. When this happened, the man had spent the whole day playing tennis at temperatures higher than 90 degrees F and had consumed great amounts of coconut water, eight 11-ounce bottles of it.

All of a sudden, he started feeling lightheaded and lost consciousness. He was immediately taken to the emergency room, and it was discovered that he had a low heart rate, low blood pressure, and he was totally disoriented.

His state was the result of the high amounts of potassium in his blood. For a proper function of the heart and the other muscles in our body, we need to maintain a delicate balance of this mineral. However, the greatest part of the Americans does not take in enough of this mineral, which can be found in vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, if people take in great amounts of it in a relatively short period of time, it can add to dangerous, even fatal changes in the rhythm of the heart. If one takes in huge amounts of potassium, it can also lead to ventricular fibrillation, an emergency state where the heart’s lower parts flutter with raised speed instead of pumping blood. If this state is left untreated, the heart can stop beating and the patient will die eventually.

According to the Institute of Medicine, the proper daily intake of potassium should be 4,700 mg for adults. The upper limit is not yet set and it is still unknown and unclear how much potassium should one take in maximally in a day, but, if one takes too much of this mineral in their body, it can be deadly. The levels of potassium in the body can be raised due to reduced excretion, excessive intake, or both. If this is combined with some kind of drug therapy which additionally increases the levels of potassium in the body, it can be very dangerous.

In addition, the potassium levels in the body can also be increased as a result of:

– Breakdown of red blood cells (hemolysis)

– Uncontrolled diabetes

– Breakdown of muscle tissue (rhabdomyolysis)

– Addison’s disease (adrenal failure)

– Kidney disease

– Medications such as beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and some antibiotics like penicillin

– Burns and trauma

The man whose case has been described in the study was discovered to have muscle tissue breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), a condition that occurs due to a muscle exertion which is a result of endurance exercise, exercise in hot, damp conditions, and strenuous exercise.

This condition, on the other hand, contributes to kidney damage. The doctors had explained that the patient had consumed 5,500 mg of potassium through the eight servings of coconut water. The potassium present in the coconut water combined with the potassium released from the muscle fibers after the prolonged tennis matches led to his hospitalization.

Fortunately, the man recovered. He only had to spend three days in hospital and wear a temporary pacemaker. His heart’s work was brought back to normal, the levels of potassium in his body were controlled, and the kidneys and the muscles began to function adequately again.

Numerous other studies also talk about the dangers of high potassium levels in the body which are the result of taking in too much coconut water.

According to the health experts, people who suffer from some kind of kidney disease and people who have some heart issues should avoid drinking coconut water, particularly after strenuous exercise, when the levels of electrolytes in the body drop considerably. On the other hand, coconut water does not contain a lot of electrolytes, so it cannot adequately hydrate the body in these conditions.

this case is not announced in order to show that coconut water is harmful. In fact, this natural tonic is an excellent source of nutrients significant for proper body function. However, if one likes to enjoy its health benefits without facing the health risks, they should make sure that they limit the intake of coconut water to a couple of serving per day.

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Source: www.myhealthylifeguide.net