Some Drinks and Foods To Avoid If You Have Heart Palpitations

The normal heart rate is between 60 to 100 times a minute. Consumption of certain foods or drinks can increase your heart rate to above 100, creating a feeling that your heart is fluttering, racing, or skipping a beat.

Now, if this rarely happens, then it’s likely nothing to worry about but if you’ve got a history of heart problems or if you’ve been diagnosed with atrial arrhythmia or fibrillation, you should take it seriously.

Why? That is because a single encounter with irregular heartbeats could potentially lead to complications like stroke or blood clots.

Here is a list of supplements, drinks, and foods to avoid if you have heart palpitations:

• Alcohol
• Sodium
• caffeine
• Tyramine
• Herbal supplements
• Oversized portions

Now, let’s discuss each of these in detail:

• Too Much Caffeine

Drinking two cups of coffee a day is usually fine. But, never overdo it though since too much caffeine in your system can raise your blood pressure and your heart rate.

I also recommend avoiding energy drinks that contain mega doses of the stimulant in them.

• Alcohol

Over time, heavy drinking damages the heart cells and causes additional heartbeats.

The good news is that your heart may return to normal if you already quit drinking. If you’re having a glass of wine with dinner as part of your daily meal routine and haven’t noticed any palpitations then it might be okay to continue.

• Sodium

The average American household’s intake of sodium is very high. That can raise your blood pressure really quickly, and cause structural changes in your blood vessels making you more likely to develop atrial fibrillation.

Foods like soup, meats, and pizza contain high levels of sodium in them.

• Tyramine

Tyramine is yet another amino acid that affects blood pressure.

Common examples of foods containing tyramine include aged cheese like gorgonzola and parmesan, sauerkraut, soy sauce, and salami.

• Herbal supplements

Most heart supplements contain stimulants or other ingredients that are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Some supplements may also have negative interactions with heart medications.

We recommend discontinuing the use of any herbal supplements.

• Oversized portions

The regular consumption of large meals may lead to heartburn, which can lead to atrial fibrillation. In general, it’s better to eat smaller portions throughout the day rather than three big meals.

List of Foods that Cause Palpitations

If you haven’t already started experiencing heart palpitations, it’s a good idea to avoid foods that cause it.

Here are some of the most common foods that lead to palpitations include:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Dietary supplements
• Individual food triggers
• Sugar and carbs
• Foods with tyramine

A lot of people consume caffeine daily in the form of morning tea or coffee.

Drinking one or two cups of coffee per day is fine, but if you constantly find yourself having coffee or energy drinks all through the day, then that is an issue.

You should try to cut down your intake so as to eliminate your chances of experiencing palpitations.

Likewise, alcohol is fine when consumed within the recommended range. The recommended range for men is up to 2 per day, and one drink per day for women. Anything more than that and you run a risk of suffering palpitations.

Sugary foods are known to cause blood pressure to spike, which can, in turn, trigger heart palpitations.

Sugar is mostly a problem if your blood sugar is low when you eat, so if you know you’re hypoglycemic, don’t eat foods high in sugar and carbs right after fasting.

Tyramine is a hormone that your body uses to regulate blood pressure, so eating foods that contain it can trigger a spike in blood pressure. Foods high in tyramine include aged cheeses, soy sauce, salami, and sauerkraut.

Dietary supplements are yet another known factor to causes heart palpitations.

Some dietary supplements can cause heart palpitations, such as:

• Ephedra
• Bitter orange
• Valerian
• Hawthorn
• Ginseng

But, if you face palpitations or other negative effects after taking any supplement, stop using it and ask your doctor before resuming.

Note that purity standards are not high for dietary supplements, and they may include ingredients, not on the label.

It’s also crucial to keep a food diary that will help you track your individual response to certain foods.

If some foods trigger palpitations in you then it is time to avoid them.

Avoid Foods That Increase Arrhythmia Risk

Arrhythmias is a process of your heart not beating regularly.

It might be skipping beats, or the chambers might not be beating according to the optimal sequence.

Common heart arrhythmias include premature ventricular contraction and atrial fibrillation.

Lots of the foods and drinks listed above can contribute greatly to your risk of having an arrhythmia.

In particular, foods that contribute to high blood pressure, such as caffeine, alcohol, tyramine, and dietary supplements can also increase your risk of developing arrhythmias.

But it is also crucial that you avoid meals, or drinks that can increase your risk of coronary artery disease.

It is a serious condition in itself that increases your chances of developing heart arrhythmias. This means that you should take steps to lower cholesterol, reduce fat consumption, skip red meats, and do other similar steps.

Some Foods May Trigger Heart Palpitations!

If you are prone to heart palpitation before eating, during a meal, or after drinking or eating, there are some meals that you may want to avoid that can trigger palpitations:

• Chocolate

This yummy food contains high levels of sugar and caffeine and will cause heart palpitations if you eat too much.

• Coffee

Coffee can be said to play a big role in the trigger of heart palpitation in people.

Anything with an intense concentration of caffeine can have this same effect. If you must have coffee at all, try Decaf.

• Energy drinks

Energy drinks contain high traces of caffeine. Avoid these in favor of tea to help your heart.

• MSG

Some past sufferers of palpitations react to high amounts of MSG.

So, try to avoid foods with MSG.

• Rich foods

Fat-rich meals or carbohydrate-heavy foods can also lead to heart palpitations.

Eating more moderately can also help with lessening the impact.

• Alcohol

It’s either you cut down your consumption of alcohol or quit drinking.

Drinking fewer than 2 glasses of alcohol, no more than 4 times a week can help too.

Other things to avoid:

Decongestants, diet pills, and some supplements can also trigger your heaty palpitations.

So, be cautious when using these.

• Fatigue and stress

Stress and Fatigue can be factors as well, so ensure you take the time to exercise, unwind, and rest!

Try cutting these things out of your life! You could decrease your heart palpitations.

We all have different triggers. To keep track of which triggers affect you, keep a diary of responses.

Eating heart-healthy food can help prevent atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

A heart-healthy diet might not fully prevent atrial fibrillation, but it can help reduce your risk.