NZ Woman, 30, May Have Died From Excessive Coca-Cola Consumption
As a person with a strong dependence on Diet Coke (Pepsi, actually, but we call it DC in this house), I’ve always personally felt giving up my single, calorie-free pleasure (even in the excess I consume it) was difficult to do in the absence of a specific reason not to consume tons of sugarless soda- but even this hardened DC junkie is reconsidering after the death of a 30-year-old woman ostensibly due to diet soda consumption.
30-year-old stay-at-home mom of eight Natasha Harris had a two-gallon-a-day Coke habit. And after a few months of lethargy and general malaise, Harris passed away of a heart attack in February of 2010. The woman’s partner, Chris Hodgkinson, later said in an inquest that Harris ate little but was frequently sipping Coca-Cola- he testified:
“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… She was addicted to Coke.”
A coroner testified that Harris’ overall poor nutrition coupled with low potassium levels due to excessive Coke consumption likely precipitated her death. In the region, Coca-Cola reps conceded that the woman’s soda consumption was excessive and dangerous. Spokeswoman Karen Thompson said:
“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.”
A second medical examiner who provided testimony said that there were “strong hypothetical grounds for [excessive Coca-Cola consumption] becoming fatal in individual cases.”
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About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
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