RE: caffeine and chocolate

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/5/04 4:50:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

cleaner@... writes:

> I was wondering how much caffeine can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a

> cup of hot chocolate, or a dish of instant chocolate pudding

Hi Loretta ... much more than you think! We just wrote a health curriculum

where I work, and caffeine counts for different foods was included ... as

expected, more pure chocolate (like candy, M & Ms, etc.) have higher counts ...

but

even hot chocolate had more than I'd risk ... chocolate pudding wasn't on our

list so I'm not sure of that one. I was an iced-tea junkie ... that was harder

to give up than chocolate, though chocolate ran a close second ... still

does. On the good side, did you know that Reese's now has a WHITE chocolate

peanut butter cup? They're good too ... white chocolate still has part of the

cocoa bean in it, but not the caffeine part. Sorry it's so tough for you ...

but

you're right to be cautious.

Toni

CA

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/5/04 7:50:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

cleaner@... writes:

Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding chocolate! I was a

chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was wondering how much

caffeine

can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a cup of hot chocolate, or a dish of

instant chocolate pudding. Do any of you get afib from chocolate and what are

you

able to eat? I get by with a chocolate chip cookie every now and then but I

am afraid to try anything else.

Loretta

*******************

I don't know the answer to any of your questions but I ate a piece of to die

for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. It was a regular slice nothing

big. I went into afib during the night. I have not eaten chocolate

since....lol

a in Massachusetts 49 NSR Sotalol 80x 2 Adult Aspirin (starting coumadin

this week)

[Guest guest]

> Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding choocolate! I

was a chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was wondering

how much caffeine can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a cup of hot

chocolate, or a dish of instant chocolate pudding. Do any of you get

afib from chocolate and what are you able to eat? I get by with a

chocolate chip cookie every now and then but I am afraid to try

anything else.

Loretta,

I think the first afib episode of my current mess was started by

eating a chocolate bar. One of those soo gooood Cadbury bars. I

felt wired after eating it, perhaps because I have eaten so little

chocolate since my afib diagnosis several years ago. So I'm back to

avoiding it altogether, which is what I had been doing.

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 4/5/04 7:50:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> cleaner@c... writes:

> Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding chocolate! I

was a > chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was

wondering how much caffeine> can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a

pudding................................

Hello Loretta: Last year, for 3 months after my diagnosis I went

around like a Zombie, finally I couldn't take it anymore and said I

am going to have coffee etc. I cannot recall the amounts of

theobromine in chocolate, but the darker the chocolate the more

caffeine/theobromine it will have.

I am able to eat a half a bar of Nestle's milk chocolate at a time

(I keep it in the freezer) and I have about a cup of coffee daily.

It is a mixture of 3 tbs decaf to 1 tbs regular coffee with a pinch

of decaf espresso,a pinch of salt and a tbs of chicory.

On days that are going to extremely taxing (like cleaning up or

painting after a tenant has moved out) I reduce my intake to just a

half a cup of coffee sometimes even less and stay away from

chocolate for the day.

I go into afib mostly when I have overdone it, or eaten something

very salty in a restaurant. I usually stay away from coffee at

dinner time in restaurants because the combo of extra salt and

caffeine brings on afib.

Probably the most insidious cause for my going into afib is getting

very angry or being very disappointed, that can bring on afib

faster than any caffeine I may have had at home. Restaurants are

a different story. I hope this helps. Regards, Isabelle

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 4/5/04 7:50:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> cleaner@c... writes:

> Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding chocolate! I

was a > chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was

wondering how much caffeine> can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a

pudding................................

Hello Loretta: Last year, for 3 months after my diagnosis I went

around like a Zombie, finally I couldn't take it anymore and said I

am going to have coffee etc. I cannot recall the amounts of

theobromine in chocolate, but the darker the chocolate the more

caffeine/theobromine it will have.

I am able to eat a half a bar of Nestle's milk chocolate at a time

(I keep it in the freezer) and I have about a cup of coffee daily.

It is a mixture of 3 tbs decaf to 1 tbs regular coffee with a pinch

of decaf espresso,a pinch of salt and a tbs of chicory.

On days that are going to extremely taxing (like cleaning up or

painting after a tenant has moved out) I reduce my intake to just a

half a cup of coffee sometimes even less and stay away from

chocolate for the day.

I go into afib mostly when I have overdone it, or eaten something

very salty in a restaurant. I usually stay away from coffee at

dinner time in restaurants because the combo of extra salt and

caffeine brings on afib.

Probably the most insidious cause for my going into afib is getting

very angry or being very disappointed, that can bring on afib

faster than any caffeine I may have had at home. Restaurants are

a different story. I hope this helps. Regards, Isabelle

[Guest guest]

Loretta - I gave up coffee and all caffeinated drinks, but NO WAY on the

chocolate... I would say I have a bit of chocolate daily! Sometimes more than a

bit too! I prefer dark chocolate.. especally Dove chocolate eggs this time of

year!

I have never had an episode linked even remotely with chocolate either. I've

never had an episode linked to caffeine either, although I could definitely

drink enough caffeine to make my heart do funny things, but I gave up the coffee

just because I was coming to rely upon it in the morning, and that was a drag

when I couldn't get some for whatever reason. Now I drink grape jiuce as my

morning " fix " And sometimes I have chocolate before noon too, although for

my waistline I try to keep it to the afternoons!

Stef

Loretta and Chuck wrote:

Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding choocolate! I was a

chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was wondering how much

caffeine can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a cup of hot chocolate, or a dish

of instant chocolate pudding. Do any of you get afib from chocolate and what

are you able to eat? I get by with a chocolate chip cookie every now and then

but I am afraid to try anything else.

Loretta

[Guest guest]

Hi Loretta, For what its worth! Last time I was in the hospital I told

my Dr. I don't drink any caffeine, which I don't, but I do eat

chocolate occasionally. I am allergic to milk so I eat dark chocolate.

He said that would not do anything in causing AF.

Peggy

> I was wondering how much caffeine can be in a piece of chocolate cake,

a

> cup of hot chocolate, or a dish of instant chocolate pudding

Hi Loretta ... much more than you think! We just wrote a health

curriculum

where I work, and caffeine counts for different foods was included ...

as

expected, more pure chocolate (like candy, M & Ms, etc.) have higher

counts ... but

even hot chocolate had more than I'd risk ... chocolate pudding wasn't

on our

list so I'm not sure of that one. I was an iced-tea junkie ... that was

harder

to give up than chocolate, though chocolate ran a close second ... still

does. On the good side, did you know that Reese's now has a WHITE

chocolate

peanut butter cup? They're good too ... white chocolate still has part

of the

cocoa bean in it, but not the caffeine part. Sorry it's so tough for

you ... but

you're right to be cautious.

Toni

CA

[Guest guest]

I love chocolate. Any kind. I've never experienced afib from eating

chocolate. Some studies suggest that antioxidants in chocolate --

dark chocolate and cocoa powder -- may increase " good " (HDL)

cholesterol. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition in 1997 showed that one of the fats in chocolate, called

stearic acid, can boost HDL levels.

1 Hershey Bar (milk chocolate) contains approx. 10mg of caffeine

1 Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar - approx. 31mg

(1 cup of reg coffee = approx 135mg)

> Next month will be a year that I have been avoiding choocolate! I

was a chocoholic and this has been very hard for me. I was

wondering how much caffeine can be in a piece of chocolate cake, a

cup of hot chocolate, or a dish of instant chocolate pudding. Do

any of you get afib from chocolate and what are you able to eat? I

get by with a chocolate chip cookie every now and then but I am

afraid to try anything else.

>

> Loretta

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- >

>

> Hi Loretta,

I also try to avoid caffeine. My cardio said not to have even de-

caffe. I really miss my morning coffee. I have found a fake coffee

substitute at the health food store. It is called Teeccino, and it is

made with dates and chickory and other natural things. It is amaretto

flavored, and actually taste really good with cream and sugar.

Otherwise I avoid most chocolate and coffee. Once in a while I eat a

cookie or something, but try to stick to non caffeine items.

Mandy of CA

[Guest guest]

>

> >

> > I have never heard of theobromine before! I thought I was just

looking out

> for caffeine. What is it? Also, I was surprised to see you go

into afib

> after eating something very salty. I wonder if this is because

the salt

> increases your b/p. ...................

Hello Loretta:

Thanks for your questions and reply.

Theobromine is a stimulant similar to caffeine....I think most

people will call it caffeine but the true ingredient in Chocolate

and Tea is Theobromine.....That's what I was taught in my nutrition

course about 30 years ago. Also the darker the chocolate the higher

the content of T. An interesting example is that I can eat milk

chocolate(Nestle's) without any problems....but when I try to eat

dark chocolate my heart starts behaving erratically...since I am not

that fond of it....I don't experiment and leave it alone.

I think a high salt meal must increase the viscosity of my

blood....since I am dehydrated most of the time...because I do not

drink enough or forget to drink altogether......

My blood pressure is usually low so a somewhat salty meal at home is

beneficial but a higher content of salt in a restaurant is really

dangerous. I avoid some restaurants because I can go into afib

within 20 minutes of starting a meal. I hope this answers your

questions. Isabelle

> > >