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‘Tis the season for chocolate lovers to go nuts.
Americans collectively shelled out nearly $7 billion for holiday confections in 2023, with sales expected to grow slightly this year.
Unfortunately, overindulging in chocolate can lead to weight gain, tooth decay and an increased risk of developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. But could it be fatal? Sure — if you eat enough.
The sweet treat is made from cocoa beans, which contain the mild stimulant theobromine. Large amounts of theobromine can be poisonous.
“Theobromine interferes with the nervous system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system (e.g., vasodilation), as well as results in excess urination,” Dr. Naveed Saleh wrote in a blog post for Psychology Today.
“In very high amounts, it can cause increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, loss of appetite, severe headache and drops in blood pressure,” Saleh added.
Popular Science reports that 1,000 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight is considered to be a toxic dose of theobromine in humans.
A person who weighs 150 pounds (about 68 kg) would have to eat around 68,000 mg of theobromine to be poisoned.
Theobromine amounts vary by chocolate type. You won’t find much in white chocolate — but there’s more in milk chocolate (2.4 mg of theobromine per gram of chocolate), dark chocolate (5.5 mg per gram) and baker’s chocolate (16 mg per gram), per Popular Science.
The outlet crunched the numbers and determined that a 165-pound person could theoretically fatally overdose from eating 711 regular-sized Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, 7,084 Hershey chocolate kisses or 332 standard-sized Hershey’s dark chocolate bars. There are no reports of this ever happening.
While humans can metabolize theobromine quickly, many animals cannot.
Theobromine is the primary reason you shouldn’t give chocolate to dogs, cats or birds. Sadly, an “inquisitive” wild parrot succumbed to tragedy after consuming what appeared to be dark chocolate.
In dogs, a lethal dose of theobromine is considered to be 100-500 mg per kg of body weight.
Symptoms, which include vomiting (especially blood), increased thirst, panting or restlessness, excessive urination and a racing heart, tend to emerge within two to 12 hours of eating chocolate.
If your dog accidentally eats chocolate, you should immediately contact your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline at (800) 213-6680.
