Chest
pain and heart symptoms
Which heart
symptoms can be associated with food additives?
Which
additives are most likely to cause these symptoms?
What do
medical journals say about additive-induced heart problems?
Why didn’t
my doctor know about this?
Has anyone
else reported these symptoms?
Where
can I find more information?
Which heart
symptoms can be associated with food additives?
·
chest pain
·
chest pressure
·
arrhythmias
- an arrhythmia is any deviation from the normal rhythm of the heart. Symptoms
can include palpitations, breathlessness, fainting and
chest pain. Some arrhythmias can be potentially lethal.
·
palpitations
- heart palpitations refer to an awareness of the beating of your own heart. It
may be normal, too slow, too fast (tachycardia) or irregular - skipping a beat
or with extra beats. Some causes of
heart palpitations include exercise, fear, disease, drugs and food chemicals.
·
tachycardia – fast heart beat
·
pseudo heart attack – seems like a
heart attack but it isn’t
·
sweating, numbness around the face
and neck, burning sensations around the face and chest, nausea and vomiting,
feeling of ‘impending doom’ – these symptoms are often associated with heart
attacks
Which additives
and natural food chemicals are most likely to cause these symptoms?
The heart symptom dietary culprits most often reported to us are:
·
MSG (flavour enhancer 621) – also
called hydrolysed vegetable protein HVP, yeast extract, Gourmet powder,
Ajinomoto, Accent and many others
·
new
flavour enhancers (627, 631, 635) – these additives have numerous names
including ribonucleotides, disodium inosinate,
disodium guanylate, DMP or
·
sulphite preservatives (220-228)
·
propionate preservatives (280-283)
·
benzoate preservatives (210-213 especially
sodium benzoate 211 in drinks)
·
salicylates (these are naturally
occurring food chemicals – not additives – that can affect some people in the
same way as additives, as described by Dr Ben Feingold in the 1970s)
·
it is likely that any of the usual
culprits (artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and flavour enhancers as
well as natural salicylates or amines) can contribute to these symptoms in some
people …
Symptoms can range from mild to extremely alarming with many people
rushing to hospital convinced that they are having a heart attack. ‘A feeling
of doom’ is a common experience. Some arrhythmias are potentially
life-threatening but this is rare.
What do medical journals say
about additive-induced heart problems?
See abstracts at www.pubmed.com
1. A 36-year-old otherwise healthy man developed a burning and tight
sensation in his chest face and neck about 30 minutes after eating severe
weakness, heart palpitations and sweating about 30 minutes after eating wonton
soup in a Chinese restaurant. He began sweating and felt weak. A friend who had
eaten with him developed some milder weakness and tingling in the arms. Soon
after driving home, the patient developed chest pain and pressure with the pain
radiating to both shoulders and upper arms. The chest pressure improved after
half an hour but the weakness remained. When the man was admitted to hospital,
an ECG showed potentially lethal ventricular tachycardia. He was given
medication (lidocaine) intravenously and the rhythm converted to normal with
the three minutes. His physicians commented that MSG might produce potentially
serious arrhythmias in susceptible persons. Gann D.
Ventricular tachycardia in a patient with the "Chinese restaurant
syndrome". South Med J 1977;70(7):879-81.
2. In a case similar to the above, an otherwise healthy woman developed
potentially fatal arrhythmia and other symptoms of Chinese Restaurant
Syndrome including tingling and burning sensation in the head, chest and
arms after eating wonton soup. Goldberg LH. Supraventricular
tachyarrhythmia in association with the Chinese restaurant syndrome. Ann
Emerg Med.1982;11(6):333.
3. In this study of the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,
researchers described the effect of MSG on one of their doctor subjects: 'a sensation of pressure over the precordium
or substernal area, occasionally radiating to the axillae or neck. This
sensation, referred to as the "chest pressure" followed the burning
... This sensation can be very alarming: in the past, one of our susceptible
physician subjects requested an electrocardiogram after a Chinese Meal.'
4. In 1986, emergency medical technicians were warned to consider
whether they were dealing with MI (myocardial infarction, the medical name for
heart attack) or MSG when the patient’s symptoms include sweating, numbness
around the face and neck, chest pressure and burning sensations, palpitations,
nausea and vomiting. Emergency Medical Services, 1986, 14(4).
5. In a review of adverse reactions to MSG, researchers concluded that
most reported reactions were ‘transient and not life-threatening’ – except for
cardiac arrhythmias. FASEB, Executive
summary from the report: analysis of adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate
(MSG), J Nutr 1995;125(11):2894S.
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/125/11/2891S.pdf.
6. Propionates used as an additive in a number of foods especially in
bread are also found naturally in small doses in the human body. However, when
propionates build up in the human body - in a condition called propionic
acidemia due to an enzyme deficiency - a number of severe symptoms can occur
that seem to be similar to – in milder forms - the effects of cumulative doses
of propionate preservatives. Cardiomyopathy or heart problems are considered to
be a rare complication of propionic acidemia. In this paper, the authors
describe a case of adult-onset cardiomyopathy in a 23-year-old female with
propionic acidemia diagnosed in early childhood.
7. In the 1970s, Dr Ben Feingold proposed that salicylates in foods
could affect susceptible patients in the same ways as salicylates in drugs such
as aspirin. Although not common, pulmonary edema,
ventricular ectopic activity and cardiopulmonary arrest have been reported in
patients with high toxic serum salicylate concentration due to salicylates in
drugs. This report concerns a patient who developed a variety of sinus and
atrioventricular nodal conduction disturbances and atrial arrhythmias with a
relatively low toxic serum salicylate concentration. The cardiac rhythm
returned to normal as the serum salicylate concentration decreased. Mukerji V, Alpert
MA, Flaker GC, Beach CL, Weber RD. Cardiac conduction
abnormalities and atrial arrhythmias associated with salicylate toxicity.
Pharmacotherapy 1986;6(1):41-3.
Why didn’t my doctor know
about this?
The Chinese Restaurant Syndrome has been
discredited by the food industry in numerous articles targeting the medical
profession. However, some consumers continue to experience these symptoms. When
reading any scientific article, remember that results can be influenced by the
source of the funding. For example, in a review of 166 studies regarding
aspartame (artificial sweetener 951) by Professor RG Walton, 100% of those with
industry funding found no problems whereas 92% of those with independent
funding found the opposite.
References:
1)
Samuels A, The toxicity/safety of processed free glutamic acid (MSG): a study
in suppression of information, Accountability in Research, 1999;6(4):259-310, http://www.truthinlabeling.org/l-manuscript.html;
2)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/329/7469/755#76743.
Has anyone else reported
these symptoms?
See these reader reports from our files.
[872] 635: Increasing episodes of tachycardia, arrythmia and ectopic heart beats
(November 2009)
I had been
suffering increasing episodes of tachycardia, arrhythmia and ectopic heart beats - two to three episodes a day. Despite
escalating testing with various cardiac specialists over the past 6 months,
nothing was determined apart from the fact I had high blood pressure and was
placed on a low dose of appropriate medication for that. No known cause for my
cardiac anomalies.
Last Tuesday (tis Wednesday of following week now) I ate a delicious bowl
of my home made potato and leek soup for lunch. I experienced my usual (but
scary and increasingly strong) palpitations and (frustrated, a little
frightened and upset), I broadly Googled "heart
palpitations" on Australian sites. Up came your website that mentioned
'soup' in the first Google lines that came up.
Thinking "that's funny, I just ate soup, I'll have a look at that one
before I find what I'm really after", I looked at it. Well, that's what
saved me. What I found there were countless, comforting, case studies of people
just like me, suffering consequences to MSG (635 in particular), just like me,
who didn't know what was causing it. Just. Like. Me.
For me, it was
a revelation, an epiphany. I was euphoric. My God, what have I been poisoning
my family with, for so many years? Weekly, particularly in winter, I lovingly
make risotto, casserole, beef in red wine, soup, etc, etc. Thinking I'm making
healthy foods for my husband and my children, I've made all these dishes with
more than a liberal dash of commercial stock (cube and/or liquid), all of which
(no exceptions, I find) are loaded with MSG.
I stepped,
willingly, into the world of chemical additives, flavour
enhancers, neurotoxins, excitotoxins and ribonucleotides.
To cut a long
story short, I have strenuously avoided any flavour
enhancers (particularly 635) and all MSG in its myriad disguises since that
bowl of soup on Tuesday. I did not expect things to settle immediately, but
I've gone from having 2-3 cardiac episodes a day and thinking I was going to
die like my father, at 46, to NOT ONE EPISODE IN
Gotta be something to this and I'm sincerely and eternally grateful for
the information you have on your website and the comfort and advice it gave me.
I think you saved my sanity and my life. –
[640] 220: Ventricular
arrhythmia link to sulphites (May 2008)
I just thought I’d tell you that although my cardiologist never
questioned my diet, after two hospitalizations in emergency for ventricular
arrhythmia, and nearly two years of fearing for my life, feeling my heart
jumping all over the place, and being miserable, I finally linked a very bad
episode to a wedding and consumption of red wine, and then to the foods in my
cupboard. Since eliminating sulphites, I have had NO problems. None of the
medication I was given worked, (medication rarely does for arrhythmia). I
wonder why didn’t anyone mention this, not when I went
to the doctor, not when I was in hospital fearing I was going to die. I’ve
tested this three times, having been ‘arrhythmia free’ for months, and then
drunk champagne or wine, eaten foods (everything you would normally eat and
drink at a function) and each time, 4 to six hours after, my heart goes crazy
and I can’t sleep for the whole night. It’s like I’m ‘buzzing’ and restless,
with my heart banging around. This is the honest truth, I have no symptoms, and
I’m medication free, and even felt so good I’ve got back into exercise without
fear of dropping dead! It’s been six months (since the wedding that triggered
the biggest attack ever, and the linking to red wine), that I’ve been 220 free,
and free of symptoms (apart from the three ‘tests’ which were one night tests).
The link was obviously cumulative, the more 220 over the day the worse the
problem that night and the next days. Alcohol with 220 is a big trigger - so
much for drinking red wine every night for your health! My normal diet was
toxic, I was eating dips, fruit juice cordial, I ate cereal with dried fruit
(and 220) every morning, and sauces (it’s in everything) and consumed dried
fruit as snacks, thinking it was ‘good for me’. Only asthma is mentioned on the
official government additive information site, but this is a message I wish
could get out, so others could at least try it, as it won’t cause harm to avoid
this preservative -
[457] 635: Heart palpitations
from 635 (September 2006)
I have been getting heart palpitations for about 18 months. I saw a
doctor who said it was anxiety attacks. Rubbish. So I started to take more
notice of the foods I was eating. I noticed that it was instant after certain
foods - corn chips, Sanitarium vegie
sausages and some Chinese foods (fried rice etc.).
I know it’s 635 because the palpitations come
within half an hour of eating those foods, and are quite strong for about 2-3
hours. I'm still trying to figure out if it lasts to a lesser degree for a few
more days, or if I've eaten something else in the meantime that I don't react
well to. – by email.
[710] 635: Chest pain from flavour
enhancers 627 and 631 in Weight Watchers meals (December 2008)
Some months ago I started eating Weight Watchers meals at lunchtime on week
days as a change from sandwiches and thinking they were healthier than bread.
My favourites were the lasagna and spaghetti and
meatballs. During that time I saw my doctor and had an ECG done because I was
getting chronic heart/chest pains.
After a couple of months the pains went away and I’ve not had them again
until yesterday when I ate a WW Lasagne meal for the first time in months. The
last time was when I was having chest pains. Yesterday the chest pains came
back very badly. Today I’m better but still a bit sore. When I looked up the
ingredients, I found 627 and 631 amongst other things can cause chest pains.
It’s very scary that this is what it was – they must put a bucketload
of the stuff in there because I had not had the chest pains before I had the WW
Meals. I honestly did think I was having a heart attack, the pain was
incredible. – Caroline, by email
[542] Palpitations and MSG
(January 2007)
Having suffered panic attacks and palpitations on-and-off for years I
started seriously looking at the foods and additives I was stuffing into my
system. I can now tell you that the prime trouble maker for me is flavour
enhancers. As others have done before me I visited doctors and hospitals after
bad attacks only to be sent home with a ‘nothing wrong with you’ report. Then
one day, I had taken a double dose (flavoured corn chips and kebabs) which
well-and-truly landed me in hospital. The interesting point to this story is
the specific effect the MSG had. While I was on the heart monitor (for about 12
hours) the doctors and I could see what my heart was doing and we were able to
determine the safety of the situation.
The sinus node (the electrical trigger) was firing and was firing
regularly. This was a good thing! The troublesome aspect was the MSG was somehow
interfering with the distribution of the signal around the heart. This meant
that although the heart was beating/pumping, it was
doing so at a reduced flow rate. That is, the contractions weren't as strong as
they should have been. Although it was pumping enough blood to keep me
lucid/conscious, a beat could not be felt by me in my chest, nor could a pulse
be felt at my wrist. NOTE: it felt as if my heart had stopped but in fact was
just beating weakly. I tried to convince the doctors this was MSG-induced, but
they just closed their ears, their eyes glazed over, and told me they couldn't
understand why my heart was behaving the way it was.
Now I know what my heart is doing, I no longer have panic attacks
triggered by a few 'missed beats'. The difference is knowing that the ectopic
beats aren't going to kill me, and even though I can't feel the beats, I reason
that if I'm still alive and not suffering chest pain etc. then I'm just having
another 'episode'.- by email
[116] 282: Fast heart beat
(tachycardia) (August 2001)
I have suffered for years from episodes of fast heart beat. It can be
very strong and disturbing, and I have ended up in hospital but it goes away
after a few hours and they could never find anything wrong. For a while I was
getting it every afternoon. Eventually I worked out it happened on the days I
ate bread. A friend suggested it might be the preservative in bread. When I eat
Brumbys' bread I have no problems, but when I ate some preserved bread without
thinking at my mother's place, I had another episode. - NT
[197] 282: the bread
preservative and heart rhythm (September 2002)
Thanks for interesting article on the effects of bread preservative. I
went to my heart specialist a couple of weeks ago and told him I that when I
eat bread, it makes the rhythm of my heart go absolutely crazy. It misses one
beat in four and makes me feel quite unwell. He told me that was absolute
nonsense, but he would get me to wear a 24 hour heart monitor. So I did that
and when they analysed the data, sure enough, 35 minutes after I ate four
slices of bread, the graph went wild. But he still doesn't believe that it was
caused by bread. So I'm going to look for another heart specialist who will
listen to me.. - by email
[711] Heart symptoms from benzoates, bread
preservative and sulphites (December 2008)
My 14 year old son has Aspergers syndrome. He
experiences arrhythmia and severe heart palpitations every time he consumes any
additives 211, 282, 220 etc. If he has been free from these additives for over
two weeks then he will get away with the first exposure and then it accumulates
and gets worse. We saw a heart specialist and he found no problems, just
blaming it on anxiety. He also gets more aggressive and violent once it
accumulates... like Jekyll and Hyde. Sadly it is so hard to convince and be
believed by doctors and his psychiatrist that these additives affect him. –
Therese, by email
[694] 220: Ventricular
arrhythmia and sulphites (2) (November 2008)
In reply to reader story [640] ventricular arrhythmia from sulphites,
those are the exact same symptoms I get when having any sulphites. If I have
too many I also get tongue swelling. This reaction happened out of the blue a
few years ago at the age of 42. Wine and beer affect me the most and I avoid
sulphites in any foods I eat – although I can have sips of wine and small bites
of sausages etc with no ill effects, once I have the equivalent of about 3/4
glass of wine with sulphites, I suffer. I always wake up about two hours into
sleep, with a temperature and my heart going crazy – then I get stomach cramps,
nausea and a strong urge to use my bowels. The next day I feel lousy and my
heart feels like it’s got an extra beat for a couple of weeks. I’m happy to
have preservative free wine, beer and sausages in my life but 220 and 223 are
in way too many products – and for no use at all – my preservative-free
sausages last for 4 days beautifully in the fridge. MSG doesn’t affect me (I
had a challenge of it in hospital) and I don’t know if the other flavour enhancers
bother me, I avoid them and haven’t had them for three years. Although nothing
is ever quoted in the medical literature, my immunologist is very familiar with
these types of reactions. We have been conned by the manufacturers into
believing food requires additives for our benefit but I agree with Michiko,
ventricular arrhythmia is a terrible and frightening experience! – Corrine, by
email
[693] Ventricular arrhythmia
from MSG and sulphites (November 2008)
I suffer from mild arrhythmia (I had a hole in my heart since birth and
had an operation when I was 21) which is well controlled by medication. I am
not a drinker, but do occasionally have one or two drinks and have noticed that
the arrythmia is worse and now I know why. I know
that MSG aggravates the condition and don’t touch the stuff. –
[692] Heart palpitations felt
like a washing machine out of balance (November 2008)
Although I knew I was allergic to medications containing sulphur, I
never realised to avoid foods containing sulphites and other additives. During
the 1990s I used to eat fruit mince pies and dried fruits (because I thought
they were healthy) and many other things that are now out of bounds. I also
started to experience sudden uncontrollable coughing fits at the most embarrassing
times, so always carried a packet of Fisherman's Lozenges to pop in my mouth on
these occasions. I noticed that I started having heart palpitations which would
last a short time, but got scared at times when they became stronger or lasted
longer (I likened the feeling to my heart being like a washing machine out of
balance). The Doctor told me to go to hospital when it happened so I could be
put on an ECG machine, but with no transport I knew it was impossible to get to
hospital before the palpitations stopped. I got a taxi to the hospital one
time, but of course it was over by the time they got the machine hooked up.
Eventually I linked these palpitations to the Fisherman's Lozenges and I
haven't had any more palpitations since ceasing to take them. Now I am a lot
wiser about the foods I eat and I am certainly a lot better for it. – Gladys,
by email [Fisherman’s Friend lozenges are made from all natural ingredients and
do not contain preservatives. However, they do contain licorice,
menthol, eucalyptus oil and capsicum tincture all of which are very high in
natural salicylates – it seems that Gladys’ palpitations could have been
associated with salicylates in the lozenges she took to overcome the coughing
caused by sulphites.]
[691] 220: Racing heart
(tachycardia) and asthma from sulphites (November 2008)
In response to your newsletter regarding 220 effects to the heart, I
first had a reaction to wine a couple of years ago. I woke in the middle of the
night with my heart absolutely racing - I paced the floor, drank plenty of
water and tried to relax. Eventually I was able to go back to sleep. This has
happened regularly since and loving wine I have found it difficult to control.
Fortunately we have a cellar of aged wine and over the time I have found that I
am able to tolerate aged red wine and better quality white wines without
effect. A single glass of some white wines, however, will give me palpitations
and wake me through the night with my heart racing.
Recently I have also been able to link my reaction to episodes of
asthma. The first at the age of 30, and the second at 35. On the second
occasion I had been drinking 2-3 glasses of white wine every day during a two
week holiday. Whilst I was able to select wines that didn't affect my heart at
that level, by the end of the second week I experienced my second ever bout of
asthma. Recently I also ate some cheese and suffered palpitations. Checking the
label showed that it had sulphites listed. – Amanda, by email [cheese does not
normally contain sulphites unless flavoured, e.g. – Mersey Valley sweet chili contains two sulphites: 223 listed as preservative
and 221 listed as antioxidant.]
[458] 635: Irregular heart
beat - “thought I was dying” (September 2006)
I had suffered from a slight temporary problem now and again which
seemed like an extra beat of my heart but couldn't pin it down to anything so
put it down to probable after-effects of a cold or flu but one morning after
enjoying a very large multi-course Chinese meal while on a works outing dinner
the night before, I felt terrible and quite ill! I could sense an irregular
heartbeat that seemed to be every second or third beat, I was going dizzy and
feeling faint now and again, had a funny tingling feeling going up my neck into
my head and scalp and felt very weak. I honestly thought I was dying. It was so
bad I even wrote a quick note to the wife and kids. Obviously I sought medical
treatment, had various tests and an ECG which all showed up normal...the
irregular beats were intermittent now and I got to feeling a little better, the
doctor said everyone suffers from irregular beats now and again, it’s a benign
condition and no problem!
Anyway I decided it may have been to do with the amount of alcohol I had
drunk at this works dinner and gradually the beats got back to normal and I put
this down to my now 'sensible drinking' . ....a few weeks later my wife and I
arranged to meet up with a couple of friends and have a Chinese takeaway at
their house...you guessed it … in the night and next morning the same feelings
came back and the irregular beats ... I now dismissed the alcohol connection
and thought it could be something I had eaten, so being a bit computer literate
I looked up on a search engine the phrase 'heart problems after eating Chinese
food'. I was amazed at the search results, that so many people suffered from
this and that largely doctors were ignorant of this! One web site even referred
to it as Chinese restaurant syndrome!......so knowing the problem and after
extensive research on the net I know if I can avoid MSG as much as possible I
do not get these heart flutters!...even a packet of hula hoops (potato snacks)
can give me slight heart irregularities.
Two years later: I still get irregular beats even after a packet of corn
snack type crisps. I find that the irregularities with MSG kick in after about
12 hours and around 24 hours after eating 635, and that the 635 tends to hang
on longer than MSG. With me the effects of MSG last usually a day sometimes
two, and with 635 it’s usually two days sometimes three. – from the UK.
[456] Heart palpitations and
buzzing sensation (September 2006)
Some time ago I found some corn chips (Viva brand) that advertised
having no MSG. I bought them a few times
before connecting with them a very uncomfortable feeling of restlessness,
agitation and panic, heart palpitations, hot flushes and a "buzzing"
sensation; I thought I was having a panic attack. Since recognising the link I bought the chips
once more to test the idea that this was the cause; after about 5 chips I
started to feel the ‘buzzing’ and threw the rest of the packet away. - Kathy
from Adelaide.
[658] Tachycardias,
falling blood pressure, red nose (September 2008)
For many years I have had tachycardias, a
feeling of being ‘unplugged’ (as if my heart had stopped, blood pressure
rapidly falling and I was going ‘out’) and inexplicable cold in my hands and
feet like ice even in the summer. And the same thing on my nose. It turns
bright red at times for no reason as if the capillaries dilated and it remains
that way for a long time - it burns as if it has been held on the stove. Since
changing my diet, my nose is normally coloured, I am nice and warm all over and
no one has been ‘pulling my plug’. It
seems that food chemicals affect my vascular system and blood flow. – by email
[339] 635: Palpitations from
‘Meals on wheels disease’ (Sept 2004)
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Six months ago, I was rushed off to hospital after waking in the middle
of the night feeling edgy and hot with swelling of my face, heart palpitations
and welts of hives all over my body. Afterwards, I questioned was it something
I ate - the wine, the peanuts?
These awful experiences went on for a period of about four months until
my brother saw a segment on A Current Affair about reactions to flavour
enhancer 635 (also 627 and 631, ribonucleotides). I had missed the show but
immediately got onto the website and as soon as I started reading I knew that
was exactly what I had. This information is provided by Sue Dengate at
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/ on the factsheet
called "Ribo Rash".
I read everything I purchase, I do not eat anything if I do not know
exactly what is in it, and before I go to a function I speak with the chef or
caterers. When dining I choose a meal and then request that the chef can assure
me that there is no 635 added. I went through my pantry and discarded any foods
with 635 in the ingredients and have not had a reaction of any kind for about
two months which is a wonderful breakthrough for me, after experiencing
reactions 3-4 times a week.
I request that you please take the time to read the attached
information, as my parents are both experiencing similar reactions. My
stepfather has a chronic rash and my mother gets hives at least one night a
week. They receive "Meals on Wheels" and my stepfather says it is
usually after rissoles, stew or soup. Therefore I request that you read the
ingredients that you are adding for flavour to these meals. Purchased chickens
from Woolworths have the additive in the stuffing, Coles marinated fresh
chickens contain 635, Red Rooster have in on the outside, some chicken salt has
it as well as some stocks, tinned and packet sauces and soups and it is even in
some butter blends. Potato chips, CC's and other flavour enhanced foods are all
to be avoided but there are plenty of substitutes, it just means being more
vigilant as to what is served.
The elderly in aged care facilities and even patients in hospitals are
experiencing these reactions due to flavour enhancer 635. There are plenty of
natural herbs and spices that can be added to food for flavour instead of an
additive which is causing a lot of suffering and possibly even death. – open
letter from
[690] Chocolate not so
healthy for this heart (tachycardia) (November 2008)
For years I have been trying to figure out what causes my rapid heart
beats after eating sometimes. Three weeks ago I ended up being taken to
hospital by ambulance with a heart rate of 150 bpm. I
had eaten a cheese and tomato sandwich for lunch. I know for a fact the bread
has no preservatives in it. I spent a few hours in ER but they were unable to
tell me why this happened, heart rate went down and I went home. It has
happened with various types of food, never the same thing. This has happened a
lot over the years and answers I get from doctors is something like this -
"If you eat a spicy meal it can increase your heart rate". That makes
me feel like screaming 'Listen stupid I did not eat a spicy meal". The
other symptom I get is increased ectopic beats. From now on I am going to keep
a diary of food eaten and symptoms …
Three months later … I had two more trips to hospital with major
irregular heartbeats, even the ambos were concerned. No joy from any of the
docs as to what caused it all. I went to see my GP who I think has hit the nail
on the head. He mentioned that coffee and chocolate could be responsible for
causing both rapid and irregular beats. Chocolate seems to be my cause. He
explained that it’s not just the caffeine in chocolate but the chemical that
kills dogs if they eat chocolate. I told him that I had recently changed to
dark chocolate because it was promoted as being heart healthy. He replied
"that’s the worse of all". I did not think of chocolate because I
would have no problems until 3 or 4 hours after eating it and I'm not talking
about eating huge amounts, just 2 or 3 squares. I have since stayed away from
anything chocolate and seem to be fine. My GP also told me that caffeine could
raise blood pressure which in turn causes rapid heartbeats. If I do feel like a
coffee I drink decaf. Not one person that I have told knew that chocolate could
cause major irregular heartbeats. – Sally, by email
[Caffeine in coffee and theobromine in chocolate are natural food
chemicals called methylxanthines. Dark chocolate contains about ten times more
theobromine than milk chocolate. It is well known that chocolate can kill dogs
but less well known that humans are susceptible to chocolate poisoning if
enough is consumed. The toxic dose for methylxanthines for dogs is about 150 mg
per kilogram of body weight but as with other food chemicals, there is a wide
variation in individual sensitivity. Symptoms of xanthine toxicity can include
hyperactivity, irritability, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and increased
urination. These can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures,
internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death. According to Wikipedia, the lethal dose for humans is approximately 10
kg. Food scientists warn that these food chemicals should be approached with
caution by pregnant women: Eteng MU and others,
Recent advances in caffeine and theobromine toxicities: a review. Plant Foods
Hum Nutr. 1997;51(3):231-43. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r2j423713174l315/]
See more reader reports at http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/storyindex.htm. If you have a similar report, we’d love to
hear it: suedengate@ozemail.com.au.
Where can I find
more information?
·
Fed Up by Sue Dengate, Random House,
2008 available from www.fedup.com.au
·
RIBO RASH FACTSHEET: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/635/RIBO1.htm
·
SULPHITES FACTSHEET: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsulphites.htm
·
SALICYLATES FACTSHEET: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsalicylates2.htm
The
information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your
doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult
a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. You can find a supportive
dietitian through the Dietitians Association of
© Sue Dengate update November
2009
