Actor and martial arts performer, instructor, and philosopher Bruce Lee died suddenly on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. His unexpected death has sparked many outrageous conspiracy theories throughout the years, but a new study suggests that Lee may have died… from drinking too much water?
Yes, it sounds unlikely… but the evidence is actually compelling.
Photo Source: Pixabay
To test their theory, the authors of the study reviewed the circumstances of Lee’s death. Reports indicate he suffered a headache and dizziness after smoking cannabis and drinking water. Lee took the painkiller Equagesic around 7:30 pm and was found unconscious approximately two hours later.
An autopsy found that Lee’s brain had swelled to 3.5 pounds (the average is 3 pounds), and the famous actor’s cause of death was deemed to be cerebral edema, brain swelling caused by an adverse reaction to Equagesic.
Study authors questioned this conclusion because Lee took the painkiller after his brain likely started to swell and the autopsy findings didn’t include other signs of Equagesic hypersensitivity beyond the swelling.
Instead, they theorize that Bruce Lee died of hyponatremia, the kidney’s inability to excrete excess water.
Photo Source: Pexels
Researchers believe that Lee’s behavior during his final months, which was giving up solid foods and consuming only juice, using diuretics, and increasing alcohol intake, made his body susceptible to hyponatremia.
The study, published in the Clinical Kidney Journal, reads: “In conclusion, we hypothesize that Bruce Lee died from a specific form of kidney dysfunction: the inability to excrete enough water to maintain water homeostasis.”
We may never know for certain what caused Bruce Lee’s demise, but this theory certainly seems to hold water.
