If eating chocolate causes heart palpitations, stop eating chocolate until you can be seen by your doctor. Heart palpitations are a sign of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can lead to death if not treated. Although chocolate contains caffeine, which could lead to heart palpitations, it is unlikely because of the amount of chocolate you would need to consume for this reaction to happen. Talk with your doctor about other symptoms that may occur when you eat chocolate.
Chocolate Allergy
Although it is rare for someone to have an allergic reaction to cocoa, it is possible. Cocoa powder is used to make most chocolate products and is made from the seeds of the cocoa tree. Then seeds are harvested, roasted and ground to make cocoa powder. If you're allergic to cocoa powder, the reaction is caused by an exaggerated immune system response to the proteins in cocoa. Instead of identifying the cocoa proteins as safe, your immune system reacts to them as if they are dangerous. This unleashes various chemicals throughout the body.
Other Allergens
Chocolate is made by adding different ingredients to the cocoa bean, such as milk, soy, cocoa butter, tree nuts and peanuts. If you have a known allergy to any other ingredients in a chocolate product, you can develop a severe allergic reaction from eating chocolate. Anaphylaxis is common with food and drug allergies. Anaphylaxis symptoms can develop quickly after eating a food that triggers an allergic reaction.
Anaphylaxis and Heart Rate
Anaphylaxis causes a systematic allergic reaction that affects various parts of your body and can cause life-threatening symptoms. Anaphylaxis is caused by excessive amounts of histamine and other chemicals produced by the body. Immunoglobulin E antibodies trigger the production of histamine and other chemicals that cause inflammation throughout the body. Anaphylaxis can cause your heart rate to increase rapidly but will cause your pulse to become faint. Other symptoms include the inability to breathe, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, facial swelling and severe abdominal pain. Call 911 if you develop one or more of these symptoms.
Caffeine Consideration
Caffeine can cause an increased heart rate, but you would have to eat an excessive amount of chocolate to trigger an increase in your heart rate. If you eat chocolate with other caffeinated foods and beverages, such as coffee or black tea, the combination of caffeine from the various products can cause heart palpitations.
