Israeli Woman Suffers 'Broken-Heart Syndrome' After Mistaking Wasabi For Guacamole At Wedding

A woman in Israel was hospitalized for “broken-heart syndrome” after confusing wasabi for guacamole during a wedding.

According to BMJ Case Reports, the woman, who is in her late 60s, was enjoying a wedding reception when she decided to go for what she thought was guacamole. She reportedly ate a “large amount” of the dip before she realized it was wasabi paste.

Shortly after, she felt a burst of pain in her chest that began to move down her arm. She chose to ignore the feeling, which continued for several hours, while she remained at the wedding reception. The sensation lasted until the next morning when she woke up feeling weak and decided to visit a doctor to have an electrocardiogram.

The ECG revealed that takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as “broken-heart syndrome.” It is a condition common in people over the age of 50 and is triggered by moments of extreme physical and emotional stress.

However, this is the first reported case of “broken-heart syndrome” to be brought on by “food-consumption alone.” Previous cases of the condition caused by food were later found to be linked to severe allergic reactions to said food.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by wasabi consumption,” the BMJ Case Reports study said.