It has been reported by experts that a woman from New Zealand more than likely suffered her deadly heart attack because of a 2-gallon-a-day Coca-Cola habit. Natasha Harris, 30, was a stay-at-home mom of eight children in Invercargill. She died of a heart attack back in February of 2010. The woman’s habit even led Coca-Cola to make the conclusion that even water can be deadly if consumed in excessive amounts. At an inquest on Thursday, Dr. Dan Mornin testified that Harris more than likely suffered from hypokalemia, which is low potassium. The doctor believes she suffered from this because of her excessive Coca-Cola habit and her poor diet.
Mornin also testigied that toxic levels of caffeine, which is found in Coca-Cola, could have also contributed to her heart attack. Harris’ partner, Chris Hodgkinson, also testified. He said that Harris drank anywhere from eight to ten liters of regular Coca-Cola per day. This amounts to 2.1 to 2.6 gallons of soda.
“The first thing she would do in the morning was to have a drink of Coke beside her bed and the last thing she would do at night was have a drink of Coke,” Hodgkinson said in the testimony. “She was addicted to Coke.”
The testimony from Hodgkinson also included the facts that Harris ate very little and smoked closed to 30 cigarettes per day. He also said that Harris suffered from blood pressure problems and had little energy not long before she passed away. He testified that on the morning of her death, Harris prepared the children for school and then slumped against a wall. He said he tried mouth-to-mouth after calling for emergency personnel but he could not revive her.
Doctor Martin Sage said while testifying that, “it is certainly well demonstrated that excessive long or short term cola ingestion can be dramatically symptomatic, and there are strong hypothetical grounds for this becoming fatal in individual cases.”
Lisa Te Morenga, a nutritionist from the University of Otago, said that consuming any liquid in a cold climate could possibly cause problems with the natural systems and balance of the body. A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Oceania, Karen Thompson, released the following statement about the products of the company:
“We concur with the information shared by the coroner’s office that the grossly excessive ingestion of any food product, including water, over a short period of time with the inadequate consumption of essential nutrients, and the failure to seek appropriate medical intervention when needed, can be dramatically symptomatic.”
