Man dies after sip from popular holiday drink left him with severe brain damage

In a tragic turn of events, a 69 year old man from Aarhus, , died after consuming what appeared to be "rotten" coconut water. The man, whose name has not been disclosed, had only taken a "small amount" of the juice through a straw due to its "water had a foul taste", as reported by professionals.

Upon inspecting the coconut, he discovered a "slimy" interior and remarked to his wife that it "looked rotten" before discarding it in the trash. It is believed that he purchased the coconut a month earlier and left it on his kitchen table instead of refrigerating it, leading to spoilage.

Approximately three hours following the consumption of the tainted coconut water, the man began experiencing fever, sweating, and vomiting. When paramedics arrived at his residence, they found him disoriented, pale, and struggling to maintain balance. He was rushed to the where an MRI revealed severe brain swelling, although the cause remained unknown to doctors at the time.

Despite being treated in intensive care for metabolic encephalopathy, a chemical imbalance in the brain, the man was pronounced brain dead just 26 hours after being admitted to the hospital, reports

An autopsy later confirmed the presence of fungus in his windpipe, and further analysis of the coconut identified the fungus arthrinium saccharicola, which produces a toxic compound known as 3-nitropropionic acid responsible for causing severe brain damage.

A case study published on by Thomas Birkelund detailed the incident involving the Danish man. Birkelund noted: "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."

He attributed the resolution of the challenging case to collaboration between national and international authorities, which helped explain the rapid progression of the disease and the patient's sudden death.

The incident has prompted a warning 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."