Bruce Lee Died From Drinking Too Much Water, Researchers Claim

The Asian-American martial artist and actor died at the age of 32 in 1973. Lee conceived Jeet Kune Do, an eclectic martial arts philosophy. The pop culture icon is considered to be the most influential martial artist of all time and starred in at least 18 films and paved a way for better representation of Asian-Americans in movies.

The rising star, who was capable of doing two-finger pushups and one-inch punches, died at an early age before he could see mainstream success in America. Nearly 50 years later, a group of specialists have proposed that Bruce Lee’s death was caused by his “kidney’s inability to excrete excess water.”

Brain swelling was ruled the initial cause of Lee’s death after the actor and martial artist was found unconscious while taking a nap in the home of colleague Betty Ting Pei. However, the new study’s authors suggest Lee's history of kidney injuries, alcohol intake, marijuana use, low blood sodium and "chronic" fluid intake were all "multiple risk factors" contributing to hyponatraemia.

history of kidney injuries, alcohol intake, marijuana use, low blood sodium and "chronic" fluid intake were the contributing factors for hyponatraemia

“We hypothesize that Bruce Lee died from a specific form of kidney dysfunction: the inability to excrete enough water to maintain water homeostasis… This may lead to hyponatraemia, cerebral oedema and death within hours if excess water intake is not matched by water excretion in urine,” the paper concludes.

“Given that hyponatraemia is frequent, as is found in up to 40% of hospitalized persons and may cause death due to excessive water ingestion even in young healthy persons, there is a need for a wider dissemination of the concept that excessive water intake can kill.”

In 1973, Lee collapsed at a film studio in Hong Kong while working on the film “Enter the Dragon.” Lee had been experiencing seizures and headaches prior to his collapse and was taken to a nearby hospital where he experienced a headache and cerebral oedema and was treated.

Months later, he had a headache at his co-star’s house and was later found unconscious after ingesting the painkiller Equagesic. He was pronounced dead after being transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Conspiracy theories circulated the young star’s death, who would have celebrated his 81st birthday this month. Fans have speculated he was assassinated by gangsters, while others believed he had been the target of a curse. In July, over 40 letters written by Lee to the actor Robert Baker were leaked and suggested the artist had used cocaine, LSD, and cannabis.

In a 1970 letter he wrote: “I told Linda to call you to forget about the 'stuff' because I really don't need them in my training. I feel that I have 'gained' in trying them, but excessive indulgence of them just isn't in my road in Jeet Kune Do.”

The findings were published in the upcoming December 2022 edition of the Clinical Kidney Journal.