Heart palpitations, including the feeling that your heart has skipped a beat, may startle you, but are not necessarily serious. They have a variety of causes and one possible source of skipped beats is chocolate, or more specifically, some of the compounds in chocolate.
About Chocolate
Chocolate is a complex food that comes from the dried, fermented bean of a tree called Theobroma Cacao. Among other substances, chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, phenylethylamine, magnesium and tryptophan. The first three are stimulants; caffeine, for example, is well known as the substance in coffee that helps to keep you alert. Theobromine, according to Drugs.com, is an alkaloid that resembles caffeine and is a heart stimulant. Phenylethylamine is chemically related to amphetamines, which are used illegally as a stimulant. However, the most likely culprit in palpitations is the caffeine.
Chocolate and Caffeine
Caffeine is known to have an effect on the heart. Biologist Neal J. Smatresk, Dean of the College of Science at the University of Texas at Arlington, reported in the February 1999 issue of the "Scientific American" journal on how caffeine works in the human body. According to Smatresk, caffeine works by blocking or breaking down chemical messengers; one of these is cyclic adenosine monophosphate , or cAMP. When the breakdown of cAMP stops, the body releases two other neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and epinephrine. These two transmitters increase the rate and force of heart muscle contractions.
Research
Art Pollard, founder and Head Chocolate Maker of the Amano Chocolate Company, reports that while all chocolate contains caffeine, dark chocolate has the most. The higher the amount of cocoa solids in chocolate, the greater its caffeine content. According to Amano, a pound of 90 percent dark chocolate contains about 816 mg of caffeine. While most people aren't likely to eat that much in one sitting, even 1 oz. contains about 102 mg of caffeine, or about the same as drinking an 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee. One study published in the August 2004 issue of "BioMed Central Cardiovascular Disorders" noted that eating chocolate seemed to be a triggering factor for palpitations in patients with known episodes of the disorder.
Considerations and Warnings
Chocolate is not considered a high caffeine substance, but if you are particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine, Amano and the Cleveland Clinic both note that even a small dose could create a problem. If you have heart palpitations that seem to be related to chocolate, it might be wise to abstain; the Cleveland Clinic recommends that people who have heart conditions or are in poor health should consider restricting their caffeine intake. If you have concerns or questions, you should consult a health care professional.
References
- Wageningen University: What is Theobromine And What is Its Effect on Human Beings?; March 2011
- Amano Chocolate Company: Chocolate Does Have Caffeine; Art Pollard
- "Scientific American"; How Does Caffeine Affect the Body?; Neal J. Smatresk; February 1999
- Chocolate : The Psychoactive Cocktail
- Cleveland Clinic; Diseases and Conditions; Arrhythmia: Heart Palpitations; 2011
- "BioMed Central Cardiovascular Disorders": Arrhythmia-Provoking Factors and Symptoms at the Onset of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Study Based on Interviews with 100 Patients Seeking Hospital Assistance; Anders Hansson, Bjarne Madsen-Härdil, S. Bertil Olsson; August 2004
