Woman’s Coca-Cola ‘habit’ cited in death

[THUNDERDUCK]

When people attribute someone's untimely death to a Coke overdose, they're usually not talking about the world's most popular soda.

But experts in New Zealand say Natasha Harris' 2-gallon-a-day Coca-Cola consumption "probably" contributed to her death. The soda company responded to the alleged connection by noting that even water consumption can be fatal in excessive amounts.

"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," Harris' partner Chris Hodgkinson said in a deposition. "She was addicted to Coke."

Hodgkinson testified that Harris drank between 2.1 gallons and 2.6 gallons of Coke every day.

The 30-year-old Harris died of a heart attack in February 2010. According to New Zealand's Fairfax Media, pathologist Dr. Dan Mornin testified on Thursday that Harris likely suffered from hypokalemia (low potassium levels), which he believes was caused by her overall poor nutrition, including the unusually high levels of Coke consumption.

Though in fairness to the soda manufacturer, it was also revealed that Harris made other questionable health choices before her death, including smoking a reported 30 cigarettes per day and having poor eating habits. Dr. Mornin also said Harris had "toxic levels of caffeine" in her blood, though it's not clear if those levels came exclusively from Coke or from a combination of other sources, including coffee.

Karen Thompson, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Oceania, defended the safety of her company's products in a statement:

"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."

Harris reportedly experienced high blood pressure in the months leading up to her death. Hodgkinson called emergency services and tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but was not able to revive Harris after she collapsed in her home.

[daigong]

FUCk that's not even like a pack a day. like bottles. people can't even drink that much water

[Tuffty]

All that plus 30 cigarrettes a day? Can't even imagine what your body must feel like with all of that in your system.

[TeriyakiBoi]

I just drank about 36 oz. of ice cold Coke yesterday during lunch and boy did my digestive system have a fun time.  It didn't help that I had some Chinese food for dinner.  Let's just say it took some various bodily functions to flush out the carbonation and other shit from my body.

This reminds me of one of my high school buddies who used to drink a gallon (64 oz.) of Mountain Dew every single day.  Last time I checked, he was still alive and kicking so I guess some people can handle the gallon-a-day if they don't smoke 30 cigarettes a day and do other unhealthy shit.  I'm surprised the tobacco didn't light her insides on fire with as much carbonation her body might've had.  She probably could've burped flames like a dragon.

[shurastriker]

lol every people body reacts different but drinking too much soda in not healthy at all and that's fact.

[thatguylester]

Who drinks Coca Cola that much WTF?? Really surprised she didn't die from diabetes.