7 Foods You Must Avoid If You Have Heart Palpitations

 

How to stop heart palpitations immediately

Many things might cause your heart to race, but what you eat matters more. Many things might cause your heart to race, but what you eat matters more.

The majority of us have certainly experienced the unsettling sensation of sitting absolutely still at our offices, in the vehicle, or on the couch—and feeling our pulse skip a beat without any apparent cause. Perhaps it feels as though your heart made a strange somersault inside your chest as if it was fluttering for a brief period of time, thumping quickly, or both.

These are the symptoms that are typically related to heart palpitations, which are momentary disruptions of your regular heartbeat or heart rate. Although they are frequently innocuous and generally unrelated to cardiac issues or true heart conditions, they can nonetheless be unsettling if you're not expecting them. Like, for instance, if you recently finished a substantial meal and are perplexed as to why your heart is beating.

After consuming certain foods or drinks, heart palpitations are not unusual. However, why do some foods consistently tend to cause palpitations and what connection does your diet have to your heart rate? More significantly, if you frequently get heart palpitations or are in high danger of a heart attack, should you avoid certain foods? You should be aware of the foods and beverages that can make your blood pump faster. 

Why do I experience heart palpitations after eating?

Heart palpitations are widespread; according to one often-referenced research of patients in primary care, 16% of patients reported experiencing them. Though they may grow more frequent as you age, they can happen to adults of all ages, including teenagers.

Many times, an irregular heart rhythm develops after eating because some element or constituent of that item alters your heartbeat. For instance, foods that are both spicy and caffeinated can cause your heart to beat more quickly and throw off its regular rhythm.

ALSO READ: How to Check Your Pulse Rate At Home

However, there are other underlying diseases that might cause them, albeit they aren't always heart-related either. For example, pregnancy, anemia, an anxiety disorder, or a thyroid problem can result in more frequent palpitations. Additionally, there are substances that can cause heart palpitations, including prescription pharmaceuticals like beta blockers, over-the-counter drugs like pseudoephedrine, and illicit substances like marijuana.

Less frequently, the issue is caused by cardiac disorders such as cardiomyopathy and heart rhythms.

Which foods can trigger palpitations in the heart?

Alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and spicy foods can all trigger heart palpitations. They can also be brought on by any foods that generally make you tense up or have a history of giving you indigestion. They're not the only ones, though; diets heavy in sugar and processed carbs can exacerbate heart palpitations, especially in persons with low blood sugar.

Furthermore, it's crucial to keep in mind that sensations of heart rate and gastrointestinal distress can coexist.

According to Brian Bostick, MD, a cardiologist at MU Health Care in Missouri, "the stomach and the esophagus are situated extremely close to the heart, so on occasion, we sense stomach upset as palpitations," and "digestive issues may trigger some palpitations if you're stressing your body too much, or if you are having challenges digesting medication or foods."

7 foods to stay away from if you have heart palpitations

Heart palpitations can be brought on by particular foods and beverages, even though nutrition alone is rarely the cause of them. Even though you don't have to totally avoid everything on this list if you occasionally experience palpitations after eating or drinking it, you might want to limit your intake.

Consuming these foods can make heart palpitations more common and severe if you have an underlying medical condition. Then you might want to steer clear of them or drastically cut back on your consumption. Consider keeping a food journal to record the things you ate before getting palpitations.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the main foods to blame for heart palpitations, which makes sense given that it's a stimulant (stimulants are actually made to speed up your nervous system). Remember that some foods, like chocolate, and many different beverages, like coffee, some teas, and some sodas, contain caffeine.

While a few little pieces of chocolate are unlikely to give you a caffeine rush powerful enough to cause palpitations, Dr. Bostick advises caution when drinking liquids with high caffeine content, like energy drinks and numerous cups of coffee. 

2. Foods high in fat

You just finished a large, decadent lunch, and now you feel uneasy, overloaded, and your heart is racing. High levels of cholesterol and saturated fat could be at fault. A single high-fat meal elevated many cardiovascular reactivity indicators (such as high blood pressure) compared to a low-fat lunch in individuals with otherwise normal blood pressure levels, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. If you detect this connection, consider replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats like avocados and olive oil to see if it benefits.

Rich meals can affect normal blood pressure levels because they include tyramine, an amino acid that is high in fat and found in some old cheeses and processed or cured meats.

ALSO READ: The CommonCause that Triggers Heart Palpitations

3. Drinking alcohol

According to Dr. Bostick, alcoholic beverages with high alcohol content or excessive alcohol consumption can cause heart palpitations: "We recommend consuming alcohol in moderation because heavy intake can cause the heart to go out of rhythm and stress the heart."

Although moderate alcohol intake may increase your risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, according to some studies, especially if you consume it frequently

4. Foods high in glucose

Foods heavy in carbohydrates or sugar can cause heart palpitations, especially in those with hypoglycemia, according to certified dietitian Kimberley Wiemann of Long Island.

Regardless of the quick jump in blood sugar levels that these meals may induce, she explains, "People who typically have a low blood sugar level are at higher risk for heart palpitations from eating a lot of carbohydrates or sugar foods, including bread, pasta, candies, cakes, or ice cream."

 5. Chocolate

The presences of caffeine in chocolate as well as theobromine, a chemical that can lead to arrhythmias like heart palpitations, earn chocolate its own space on this list. However, the majority of individuals don't have to fully give up chocolate; instead, they can choose milk chocolate, which contains a little less caffeine than dark chocolate, or limit their caffeine intake to keep their servings small and sweet (pun intended!).

6. Salt-rich food

While consuming meals high in salt may not strictly cause an increase in heart rate, they can elevate blood pressure, which increases the likelihood that you will experience a pounding heart after eating.

Heart palpitations are one of the most typical symptoms of atrial fibrillation, so reducing sodium intake is crucial if you regularly experience them or are otherwise at risk for heart disease. Consuming a diet that is consistently high in sodium also increases your risk for heart arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation.

7. Spicy foods

Contrary to popular belief, eating spicy food might really benefit your digestion, heart health, inflammation, and metabolism. However, if the temperature is high enough, they can potentially temporarily put your system under stress. Sweating, extreme thirst, and an elevated heart rate are all common symptoms of eating anything really spicy and suffering generalized body irritation.

Additionally, as Dr. Bostick pointed out previously, some of the heart palpitations you experience after a spicy meal may actually be caused by indigestion or acid reflux.

ALSO READ: Energy Drinks: Health Risks and Its Danger to Human Life

Avoid these herbs and supplements if you have heart palpitations.

When making a list of the foods in your diet that may be triggering heart palpitations, don't forget to include herbs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements because they can also affect your heart rate. Individually, herbal stimulants including bitter orange, ephedra, guarana, and maté can have detrimental effects on the heart and may potentially interact with other medications to create palpitations.

Wiemann claims that some study suggests that taking too much vitamin D supplementation might lead to heart palpitations. However, it's essential to note that other research indicates that taking too little magnesium, calcium, potassium, or vitamin D can also lead to heart palpitations.

The key lesson? When taking any herbs or supplements, always talk to your doctor to be sure there won't be any interactions with other medications you're taking. You also want to make sure you're getting the proper quantity in your diet to avoid making your symptoms worse.

Other heart palpitations methods of prevention

Regardless of whether you've decided to stay away from the meals and beverages that cause your heart palpitations, you might be hunting for other strategies to lessen these upsetting episodes.

You can adjust your lifestyle to have a heart-healthy life by doing things like:

Reduce the amount of tension and worry you experience, either through counseling, medicine, therapy, exercise, relaxation techniques, or meditation.

Remain hydrated by consuming the required daily intake of water (dehydration might lead to palpitations).

Ask your doctor to check your iron and thyroid health. both of which, when out of balance, might result in palpitations.

Pay attention to the prescription medications you use. and how they affect your heart and stomach. Blood pressure drugs can occasionally reduce heart palpitations, but they can also occasionally have the negative effect of causing palpitations. Additionally, according to Dr. Bostick, taking drugs that upset your stomach or stress your body, such as stimulant prescriptions for ADHD, might make your heart start to race.

Tobacco and recreational drugs should not be used.

Limiting OTC medications that include pseudoephedrine, such as certain cough and cold remedies

Take note You should be aware of food-drug interactions when taking drugs, especially those that lower blood pressure or regulate heart palpitations. Beta-blocker users should consult their doctor before taking any further vitamins or supplements, according to Wiemann, as doing so can result in high blood potassium levels, which can cause heart palpitations and other serious conditions. Beta-blocker users ought to refrain from grapefruit products when taking calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers.

Consult a medical professional right away if you are suddenly experiencing more palpitations and you are unable to pinpoint a dietary or lifestyle cause, if the palpitations are impairing your quality of life, or if they are accompanied by symptoms like sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, or chest pain.

"Almost everyone will have a few extra beats now and then," says Dr. Bostick, "but in control or symptomatic palpitations that cause the heart to beat too quickly and cause shortness of breath or dizziness are more inclined to happen in those with coronary artery disease, prior surgeries on the heart, or underlying illnesses that put stress on the heart."

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