Do you ever feel like your heart is racing too fast? Although a fluttering heart is usually associated with romance, that is not always the case. In fact, heart palpitations can actually indicate interruptions with the usual rhythm of your heart. Heart palpitations are usually not serious, but you still need to look out for moments of your heart fluttering, especially if they occur often, along with other symptoms.
Some foods can also cause your heartbeat to fasten. So, in this article, we will list the foods to avoid if you have heart palpitations. This way, you can improve your condition by implementing lifestyle changes and ensuring your heart remains healthy.
Foods That Cause Heart Palpitations
Avoiding certain foods will help reduce the palpitations in your heart. What you eat can heavily affect the rate of your heart and affect the rhythm. Hence, below, you will find a list of foods to avoid if you have heart palpitations. By doing so, you won’t have to worry about your heart beating out of rhythm. These food options include:
Caffeinated Foods & Beverages
Cutting back your caffeine intake will significantly improve your heart palpitations. Coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, sports beverages, etc., contain caffeine. When you have caffeine, it acts as a stimulant and interferes with the sympathetic nervous system. As a result, you may notice an increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure, both of which mean a higher possibility of heart palpitations.
Extremely Spicy Foods
Are you a fan of spicy foods? Well, they might be the reason you experience heart palpitations. Therefore, you should limit your consumption of spicy food if you eat it excessively. This is because eating spicy foods may result in a physiologic response, which presents a higher heart rate or tachycardia.
Red Meat
Red meat is among the top foods to avoid with heart palpitations since it can be detrimental to your heart health in general. Since it is high in saturated fat, there is an increased possibility of heart disease and heart palpitations with red meat. You may want to consider limiting your intake of red meat if you have a history of heart palpitations along with coronary artery disease or heart disease. Instead, you may want to try lean protein sources for better health.
Alcohol
Beer and other forms of alcohol contain a great amount of carbohydrates, which leads to a spike in your blood sugar and the glycemic load — which is something you want to avoid with heart palpitations. Other than this, the molecule tyramine is also found in aged cheese, which may lead to heart palpitations. Furthermore, alcohol itself is diuretic and affects your heart rate.
Sodas
If you love sodas, you may be disheartened to know that it is on the list of foods to avoid with heart palpitations. Sodas contain sugar, carbonation, and caffeine, affecting your heart rate. Hence, it is considered better to limit sodas to support your heart. However, you can find many heart-healthy carbonated beverages. Make sure to consult your cardiologist for suggestions!
Takeaway
In conclusion, there are many foods to avoid if you have heart palpitations. Sodas, red meat, caffeine, and spicy foods are just some of them. For a healthy heart, make sure to discuss the best food options with your heart doctor. At the Atrial Fibrillation Centers of America, we make sure to get your heart beating properly again. Dial (832) 478-5067 to talk to us now or give us a visit at 13325 Hargrave Rd. Suite 280, Houston, TX 77070.