Dark chocolate

[Daisaku]

Any one here tried dark chocolate and what effects does it has on afib?

[BobD Volunteer]

Bad idea IMHO.

[Daisaku in reply to BobD]

Thank you for the replies. I had a stroke last December and I am on blood thinners now. I am trying to recover my speech . I am glad I found this site.

[bantam12]

Lots of info stating chocolate lowers the risk of Afib, I’m a chocoholic and thankfully it doesn’t cause me any problems 😋

[Daisaku in reply to bantam12]

Thank you for the replies. I had a stroke last December and I am on blood thinners now. I am trying to recover my speech . I am glad I found this site.

[Hidden]

Hiya,

Dark chocolate is the best ......... no problems for my AF. The problem for me is I want to keep eating it.

John

[dani777 in reply to Hidden]

i have cut out so many things in a desperate attempt to try and stop my heart palpitations. i've cut out caffeine, i've even cut out decaf coffee, thinking it has a small amount of caffeine. i've cut out decaf diet coke. i've cut out all alcohol. and has it made any difference? no. so i might as well enjoy a glass of wine again.

[ETHEL103 in reply to dani777]

This is exactly my problem.Cut everything out lost a stone in weight.Still fluttering and a fib.After 6 months I'm back on my dinner glass of wine.Something to look forward to and feel normal.

[Polski in reply to dani777]

Try taking magnesium ( not magnesium oxide, and not so much as to cause diarrhea) and keep it up for several months. Many people find it decreases the palpitations (Every little helps!)

[Eliktrick in reply to Polski]

What dose?

[Polski in reply to Polski]

Start with the minimum dose, as shown on the container, and take it daily with food. If taken in the evening it may improve your sleep if that is important to you. After a month or so you can increase it slowly up to the maximum shown on the container, always providing you don't get diarrhea. In that case, decrease the amount, and keep going. Don't follow this advice if you have kidney problems.

[Eliktrick in reply to dani777]

Have you read the Afib Cure? Triggers can be so many other things…

[etheral]

There is 12 MG caffeine in 1 Oz dark chocolate. There is approximately 75 to 150 MG in one cup of brewed coffee. Eating the chocolate would certainly pose a small risk, but minimal. Wishing you best for a full recovery, etheral

[Thomas45]

When I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica as well as AF I ate lots of dark chocolate as it is a proven and recognised anti-inflammatory. It did not have any recognisable effect on my AF.I have no problems with caffeine in moderation, but something else in coffee instigated more bouts of AF. Subsequently I have not had coffee in any form in the last 14 years.

[Fortescue in reply to Thomas45]

High Thomas45, just saluting a fellow AF + Pollywollydoodle sufferer. Love the choccy too.

[oscarfox49]

I have two pieces of the 70% dark chocolate made by Lindt here in France each day. I am not sure if it has any impact on AF directly (I had a stroke 20 months ago and have permanent AF) but it sure makes me feel better when I eat it in the afternoon when feeling exhausted after a dog walk. I often feel better for the next couple of hours. But more is not necessarily better for you than just this relatively small amount.

[Daisaku in reply to oscarfox49]

Oscar I had a stroke too this last December. I am in Minnesota USA, what part of France are you in? How is your stroke recovery.?

[oscarfox49 in reply to Daisaku]

We are in Pays de la Loire, western France. I had my stroke in July 2020, a total shock as I thought I was no longer suffering from AF and had been extremely active all winter and spring. It just happened when I was weeding the garden after lunch. I got great speedy treatment at the local hospital so the immediate effects of loss of speech, and paralysed right arm was very much better after a week or two.

I didn't count on the after effects and after being put on Amiodarone I lost all appetite, lost weight, felt giddy and sick all day, couldn't sleep all night long and eventually had acute anxiety and depression.

I managed to stop Amiodarone after a few months and returned to Sotalol (though Amiodarone remains in the system for at least four months!).. and with antidepressants and a benzodiazepam (NOT a good idea after a stroke I've heard since) I began to very slowly recover. Until April last year I could effectively do nothing, without total exhaustion, and spent much of the time lying on the floor reading and frightened to go out even to medical appointments.

Then in the last year I started walking again, extending my exercise a little bit each day, and by last autumn was back to doing light work like moving wood and stacking it, and light gardening and household chores.

I am still far from recovery due to lateral headaches and giddiness, and fatigue after any real physical effort, but everything is slowly improving and I hope replacing Sotalol with the new beta blocker Nebivolol, a cardiac specific one, this will target some of the tiredness.

I never knew recovery from a stroke could be so long and so difficult, and naively thought I might recover after a month or so!

How is your stroke recovery going? I hope you haven't suffered many of the things that have affected me, though I am probably a bad patient and reluctant to take my doctor's advice. But if your stroke was only in December you probably have a long course of recovery ahead of you. Don't try to rush it, would be my advice, and get some psychological help if the anxiety and depression gets too much. It is absolutely normal to suffer from these things after a stroke. Good luck with your recovery.

[Daisaku in reply to oscarfox49]

I feel a lot like you, head aches and dizziness and I am scared, I am working on trying to speech back but I am still slurring words, and it is so hard. I assume you are on blood thinners unless you had a procedure to close the part of the heart where the clots form. It is so cold here in Minnesota. I am originally from Europe, Romania, I came here in 1983. My wife and I are thinking of moving to the south or maybe Europe to retire. If you want to talk more I can give you my Facebook messenger address. I am Daisaku Tony on that. By the way I am 57 years old. How old are you if I may ask?

[Rubymurray25]

I have given up drinking, caffeine and take-away curry and Thai meals during my 7 year AF journey so rely heavily on my two pieces of 70% dark chocolate every night and all OK!

[Eliktrick in reply to Rubymurray25]

Curry is a trigger?

[Rubymurray25 in reply to Eliktrick]

I believe it is the heaviness of the ghee or maybe the salt content, but I know I play with fire if I have a takeaway and my track record isn't good. I have a plain Tikka occasionally but not the same as all that lovely sauce. I do cook my own and use sunflower oil and 6 different spices so don't miss out too much.

[Hidden]

Dark chocolate is part of the Mediterranean diet provided it is 50%, or above, in cocoa. On the other hand, chocolate can be a trigger for AF in some. Provided you are not one of those people, consumption of dark chocolate now and again is a good thing.

[bassets]

Best wishes for a full recovery.

[Daisaku in reply to bassets]

Thank you.

[beach_bum]

70% works for me...in moderation 🙂

[Tryfan]

For its 85% and above. You get used to the bitter taste. Anything below 85 now tastes sweet. Anti inflammatory I have a couple of squares each night time. Seemsvto help me.

[secondtry]

I am off caffeine apart from green tea and a small amount of 70% chocolate all taken before 1pm. It has caused no AF and gives me a welcome boost. Late afternoon/evening gives me a pre-AF feeling and so I don't tempt fate.

[belindalore]

There are many articles about the good from eating dark chocolate. The darker the better. I eat the 90%. Just a couple pieces a day is advised. Hard for me since I'm a chocoholic. 😁You may want to read up on it yourself. It's not a bad thing at all. Happy chocolate! Take care.

[Snowgirl65]

Dark chocolate gives me an aura migraine if I eat too much of it, but doesn't affect my a-fib.

[Belle11]

I eat quite a lot of Montezuma 100% chocolate and am still in NSR over 2 years after a cardioversion.

This article on AF says "studies have shown that the caffeine that comes from chocolate, coffee, and tea don’t trigger AFib for most people. However, for some people, like the 28% of the 1,298 people participating in Mellanie True Hills’ study, caffeine is indeed an important trigger for Afib attacks.

So it seems to be very individual.

drjohnday.com/the-top-10-at...

[Bonn414]

I would stay away. I do not think it will impact your AFIB one way or the other but most dark chocolate is high in saturated fat so from an overall health perspective it's not the best.

[Teresa156]

I love dark chocolate, I’m paroxysmal and I continue on it without it affecting me. I do eat 70% though ( or thereabouts) and only a couple of squares a night. I also like organic 70% cacao chocolate which they make with coconut sugar as well.

It has to be a good quality chocolate though.

I need some pleasures in life after giving up alcohol last year! 😳😊

Teresa

[5195]

I think its really difficult for anyone to advise on what we should or shouldn’t be eating as everyone is very different, I have paroxysmal AF, cut out caffeine completely, drink no alcohol due to migraines, eat a healthy diet and exercise daily, however I eat from far too much milk chocolate and take ibuprofen when needed (despite reading on this forum that others advise not too?) None of those things bring on my AF, but stress does, I feel it’s really about moderation and quality of life?

[TracyAdmin Partner]

It is advisable to avoid stimulants such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine etc and regrettably this includes chocolate. You may find our 'Mindfulness & Healthy Living' booklet helpful for tips on following a healthy diet and foods to avoid with AF from our Patient Resources heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk

booklet