The unnamed 69-year-old, from Aarhus, in Denmark, only swallowed a ‘small amount’ of the juice using a straw because the ‘water had a foul taste’, according to medics
A man tragically died after consuming a small amount of “rotten” coconut water. The 69 year old man from Aarhus, Denmark, reportedly took a sip of the juice using a straw but immediately discarded it due to its foul taste.
Upon opening the coconut, he found it to be slimy and rotten inside, leading him to throw it away. It is believed that the man had purchased the coconut a month prior and left it on his kitchen table rather than refrigerating it, causing it to spoil.
Approximately three hours after drinking the spoiled coconut water, the man began experiencing fever, sweats, and vomiting. Paramedics were called to his home where they found him disoriented, pale, and unable to balance.He was rushed to hospital where an MRI scan revealed severe brain swelling, although doctors were initially unsure of the cause.
READ MORE: Julie Hogg’s killer Billy Dunlop to remain in closed prison conditions after panel denied move
Despite being treated in intensive care for metabolic encephalopathy – a chemical imbalance in the brain, the man was declared brain dead after spending 26 hours in the hospital. An autopsy later revealed the presence of fungus in his windpipe, reports the Mirror.
Further analysis of the discarded coconut identified the fungus arthrinium saccharicola, which produces the toxic compound 3-nitropropionic acid known to cause severe brain damage.
Cases of poisoning from this toxin have been reported in China and Africa over the past decades, with rotten sugarcane often identified as the source.
A medical case study published on ResearchGate by Thomas Birkelund detailed the incident involving the Danish man.
According to the study: “The symptoms of 3-NPA toxicity in humans are similar to those for bongkrekic acid, as described regarding sugar cane poisoning in humans in China and Africa, including initial gastrointestinal symptoms with vomiting and diarrhoea and progressing encephalopathy leading to coma and death (8,11,12). These symptoms are similar to those of the patient.”
The report highlighted that collaboration between various national and international authorities helped to shed light on the rapid progression of the disease and the patient’s sudden death.
The incident has prompted warnings about the importance of storing coconut water in the fridge and consuming whole coconuts within a few days. Dr Samuel Choudhury, a Singapore-based expert, advised his 326,000 Instagram followers: “Always store these coconuts in the fridge because they are already partially peeled. Only whole coconuts can be stored at room temperature.”
