Is it bad to eat chocolate or drink coffee or tea?
Answer
Dear Claudine,
it is certainly true that food can influence the health of our heart and blood vessels, both in the positive and negative sense. You undoubtedly know the role that cholesterol plays in the development of arteriosclerosis.
As far as arrhythmias are concerned, there are some stimulating substances that can trigger arrhythmias. For example, caffeine (in coffee and partly also in tea), but also nicotine will increase the heart rate and increase the risk of seizures. Alcohol in larger quantities (more than 3-4 glasses per day) can also provoke more important arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (a fast and irregular heart rhythm) in people who are sensitive to it.
As far as we know, chocolate (and especially the dark ones) mainly has positive effects on the blood vessels
Tasty!
Answered by
Prof. dr. Dr Paul Dendale
Cardiovascular diseases (specialization prevention and rehabilitation) Physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system
Agoralaan University Campus Building D BE-3590 Diepenbeek
http://www.uhasselt.be/
.