Wasabi and avocado might look similar when on a plate, but there’s no mistaking them once it’s consumed.
An Israeli woman found out the hard way after being sent to hospital with “broken heart syndrome” after eating wasabi that she thought was avocado.
According to a case study in the British Medical Journal , the unnamed woman in her late 60s attended a wedding where she ate a large quantity of what she thought was an avocado dip. Upon eating the green substance, the woman soon realized she actually ate wasabi – a Japanese horseradish paste commonly associated with sushi.
Minutes after eating the wasabi, the woman felt a sudden pressure in her chest, which travelled into her arms, IFL Science reported. Instead of going to a hospital, the woman continued to stay at the wedding with the uncomfortable sensation lasting a few hours.
She woke up the next morning “uncomfortable and weak” the case study noted. After seeing a doctor, who performed an electrocardiogram, it was determined the woman suffered from takotsubo cardiomyopathy – also known as “broken heart syndrome” – a temporary disruption of pumping in one area of the heart.
Broken heart syndrome is normally caused by emotional or physical stress, typically in people aged 50 and up. The study noted it’s the first case of the condition caused by food consumption.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by wasabi consumption,” researchers wrote.
The woman eventually recovered after being treated with beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
