WORLD
Caffeine – a drug daily: can be cause of death?
Baku, May 16 (AZERTAC). Last week in New Zealand Wellington, was sentenced in the case of the death of 30-year old Natasha Harris, a partner which claimed that she died due to excessive consumption of Coca-Cola. This writes Der Spiegel. According to data cited in this article are considered a lethal dose of about 10 grams of caffeine, a cup of coffee contains, depending on the strength of about 80 mg, so the adult and healthy man can reach the lethal dose, drinking from 10 to 31 liters of coffee. “The tangible negative effects of caffeine occur, starting with the tenth of a lethal dose: tachycardia, a clear increase in pressure, arrhythmia, circulatory problems,” – writes the author. In addition, according to him, at some point in the body naturally seeks to get rid of the poison, that is, bring it through vomiting. Nevertheless, the author continues, deaths from an overdose of caffeine occur regularly, though rarely. This is mainly to people with chronic diseases and often is not knowledgeable about it. However, according to the author, in recent years, most cases of caffeine overdose that required medical intervention or resulting in death was not due to drink, but because of the reception of concentrated caffeine. “For example, in the late summer of 2010, 23-year-old Briton died from the fact that at a party in a state of intoxication took two spoonfuls of concentrated caffeine powder and washed down his energy drink. In November 2006, 19-year-old student from the U.S. died due to that took about two to three grams of pure caffeine in the form of tonic pills “- says the author.
“In the case of ordinary caffeinated beverages injury causes regular excessive consumption. Perhaps the same can be said about Natasha Harris. Her partner said that she drank up to eight liters of Coke a day and that it was addictive. Examination in court did not rule out that this, coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle, which was part of the consumption of 30 cigarettes per day, and inadequate and irregular power supply, has become one of the causes of her death from heart failure “- the author writes. An autopsy found a lack of potassium in her blood, and this is a known side effect of excessive consumption of caffeine. However, according to the author, a lack of potassium may result in consumption and 8-10 liters of water per day.