Can certain foods cause arrythmia?

I have been plagued with heart palpitations since childhood; they’ve come and gone. After major surgery three years ago they became almost constant, then followed by the ocassional AFib.

Thanks to Jackie’s valuable contribution in the “Strategy” section on this website, followed by a whole-food, plant-based diet change since this past June, I have controlled my symptoms....both palps and Afib.

However, lately I notice, if I have a bowl of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), anywhere from an hour to two hours, I begin to palpitate. I then succeed to calm them with either a Magnesium/glycinate or Magnesium/taurate capsule and a glass of low sodium V8 juice.

Why should this happen?

Black licorice is documented to cause arrhythmias I believe.

Catherine, I can't imagine why berries would cause a problem. I know that some times spicy foods for me are an issue. One thing that gets me is I fight the mind sometimes. For example if I had an episode eating a strawberry and connect the two you can almost bet when I eat another strawberry my mind goes there. It's crazy.
Let me know if you find out anything
Tim

Hello Catherine - That’s great that you found some relief through dietary changes and supplementing with magnesium. That finding has been the case for many afibbers. Sometimes, though, the search needs to go deeper.

One example that shows up fairly consistently is chemicals in food and the fact that so many foods are or contain GMO components. From what you describe about the berries you eat and the symptoms a couple hours later, I must inquire if they are USA grown and certified organic?

Many whole foods and plants, unless certified organic, are found to contain residues of chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers, as an example. These have a myriad of effects on the individual depending on the dose of the exposure, duration and of course, the substance, itself, and often if the fresh food is grown in the USA or is imported. As an example, fresh veggies and fruit that are imported, by law, are fumigated at the border so if that food was grown organically and is labeled 'organic,' once it's fumigated, it's no longer organic. Even if US grown organic, problems arise from spray 'drift' from neighboring farms that are not organic.

Thus, some individuals are highly sensitive to those chemicals and that can often come from a lifetime of exposure (via years of ingestion of those toxins) and then all of a sudden, after years of tolerance... various reactions manifest. Also, when the toxins do biochemical damage to that specific individual who then has an immediate reaction/response to further exposure.

Jackie

Jackie, all my food consumption is organic. I purchase my organic frozen berries and frozen veggies from Trader Joes and travel over an hour every few weeks and stock up.

My breads and all my grains are also organic, am especially fond of the Ezekiel line of breads and muffins purchased from my local grocery store.

Tsco...I do believe what you say might be the case. I still have some more of the yummy fruits in the fridge and will try it out tomorrow, making sure I am palp free to start with.

Will report back.

Thanks all for the input.

Catherine:

Perhaps you are getting too much Potassium, that could give you some palps. I too eat a lot of fruits and veggies but I cannot take any Potassium supplements or your v8 juice which does contain quite a bit of potassium.

Liz

Catherine,

I wonder what the berries do to your blood sugar? Though my diet is highly (but not exclusively) plant based, it is also very low glycemic. In fact it is ketogenic. For a number of years, ending about 10 years ago, my diet was entirely plant based, but I didn't pay attention to the glycemic load and my insulin resistance increased. I now shoot for an A1C of 4.6% or less and make sure by checking my 1 hour post meal blood sugars periodically (even though I'm nowhere near diabetic - far from it).

Glycemic reactions can cause hypoglycemia which can be triggers.

George

Catherine, George had an interesting point on blood sugar. Seems like it would just possibly be an effect tho if you were really low and then ate a bunch of fruit. .?? I know all the pesticide stuff really is bad for all of us but it seems like that would be more wide spread like why does it affect me or you and not my brothers, friends, co-workers etc.? Idk it seems this diet thing could be more defined if that's what helps or causes afib. I guess each one of us is different, I've tried to pinpoint and it drives me cra cra. Let me know when you eat your fruit tomorrow.
Tim

I have heard that about 1/3 of all food labeled as being "Organic" is not. Some where along the line from when the food is grown to when it is put up for Sale, it gets labeled "Organic" to make more money.

Actually, Elizabeth, one way I can either stop or reduce the palps is to drink a cup of LS V-8 juice with two Mag/Taurate capsules.

One thing that occurred to me was my drinking too much water. I got hooked on reading about the benefits of water as it relates to disease. However, drinking more than 8 glasses (which I started doing) also increases urination, and quite possibly depleting my system of important minerals; Magnesium and Potassium. Discounting structural heart issues, more and more I lean toward an electrolyte problem.

I’m also leaning toward the belief that palpitations are a version of AF at 10 miles an hour.

I will have another cup of my berries with a banana today and report back.

Anti-Fib, I have also read that and that’s why, apart from my dark lifies, all my other veggies and friuts are flash frozen.

Even with my organic lifies, I still soak and rince them in Veggiewash. My recent Lipid bloodwork showed a drop of 20 points in my cholesterol, now 204, with my HDL’s in the low 60’s ( still high), but not losing sleep over it. My Glucose levels were smack in the normal range. This is since this past June accompanied by the STRATEGY protocol.

TSCO, I agree with you, I think George’s thoughts on blood sugar rapid high inpacting the palps could be true, since I usually (intentionally) dont have breakfast/lunch until noonish. So today I will wait on my fruit until I’ve had my first meal of the day.

Stand by.

Catherine - Just be aware of the details offered at this website about Trader Joes and the sources of their organic products. [gmo-awareness.com]

And also remember, if you are buying organic produce at TJs that is labeled as coming from Mexico or offshore elsewhere, then it's subject to the required chemical fumigation practices at the border... and is no longer organic.... if you eat a lot of that, the culprit may be those chemical residues.

Many people can tolerate pesticide residue accumulation and aren't subject to heart palpitations but can develop complications from long-term 'poisoning' of cells and mitochondria, that can cause various health conditions a decade or two later… including severe allergies, asthma, skin rashes, cancer, neurological disturbances such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS, Alzheimer’s, birth defects and much more… note this study summary: [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] which doesn’t detail the associated gut problems as well.

Also, as George mentions – important to address the influence on glucose response and if your body ‘rebounds’ from too much sugar intake and insulin resistance develops.

AntiFib – that’s a good point about bogus, ‘organic’ labels which are supposed to come as a result of the certification process, but these days, anything’s possible.

Catherine… good luck with sleuthing out your potential causes. Please share with us your progress.

Be well,
Jackie

For me its grapefruit and chinese.

Newyorker, do you think if’s glucose levels as George suggests?

George, today in many weeks I had my bowl of berries and banana without palps. Before lunch I had a cup of LS V8, then lunch, then fruit. No palps. For sure, something is going on. Tomorrow, I will follow the same drill and see.

Jackie, thanks for the links. I’ll look into them. I don’t buy fresh produce from TJ’s. I buy their nuts and seeds and their frozen fruits and veggies ans spices. The packaging states USDA Certified Organic and all state: Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI)

Catherine - First.. glad to know the TJ's is certified organic. Are the almonds, nuts and seeds also certified organic?

Your comments reminded me of when I first began having afib (long ago)... especially, at work if I didn't have enough fat and protein at breakfast and I wasn't able to have lunch on time because of scheduling delays, I'd start having PACs that eventually just went right to Afib. Blood glucose levels can also cause problems in that after a high level of carb intake and without enough healthy fat and protein to stretch out the glucose impact, you can have a low sugar 'crash' several hours or less after ingestion... which can then manifest as PACs or Afib - some people just get shaky or feel badly.

I hadn't yet seen a cardiologist but my family doctor recognized the low glucose signal (PACs) and said it's the body's natural, protective alert-response to low glucose (hypoglycemia) because the brain must have glucose and the body's job is to protect the brain at all costs... so sends out the alert, which is the adrenaline surge to motivate the host to take in food to feed and protect the brain. (Adrenaline being excitatory; therefore, increases heart rate and can stimulate PACs or Afib).

Today, as GeorgeN frequently mentions, the focus would be on healthy fat intake along with protein and very minor carbs, if any, which is very sustaining because of blood glucose stability. Back then, the remedy to eat the protein snack every 3 hours or even sooner, worked well for me during the work day, and the doctor also said to eat the protein snack an hour before bed to carry through the night because hypoglycemia often occurs during the wee hours of the morning and can result in palps or afib.

Today, the healthy fat and protein focus with very low or no carbs is very sustaining and healthy overall.

Jackie

Jackie, as a whole food plant based consumer, it can be challenging not to overload on REFINED carbs. and I don’t. My carbs, unrefined, consist of all organic: brown rice, Quinoa, black and garbanzo beans, Flaxseed whole (blended), brown and red lentils, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (loaded with Magnesium) walnuts, almonds, green liffies (Arugala, spinach, Romaine), Brocolli, carrots, sprouts, red onions, cabbage, sweet potatoes, red, yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms and beets...also the cooking juice of beets I Bell jar and drink (yum), Avocados, celery, carrots, tomatoes. Organic, non-GMO soymilk in my tea (loose-leaf, organic English Breakfast tea.

Fruits: My berries, bananas, mangoes and apples. Dates for the potassium.

I have not had refined sugars or white flour since June...even through the holidays as those around me enjoyed their holiday sweets.

Several reasons why I enjoy eating this way: My recent bloodwork and a 20 point drop in my cholesterol, while still maintaining a high HDL (could be lower) is a strong indication that diet-wise I am on the right track. My blood glucose is smack in the mid range. I have, effortlessly, dropped 17 pounds, without feeling hungry without cravings. Placed on half dose of BP medication. Finally, having cooked for my family, and still do for a husband who loves his meat and potatoes, I’m told I’m a pretty decent “home cook”.

I know that I am getting ample protein consuming these foods and having done some research...too much protein is really not that good for us.

My cookie dessert is: mashed bananas, oats, hemp seeds, flaxmeal, walnuts, almonds, sunflower and pumpkinn seeds..mix well, drop with melon scooper on cookie sheet, flatten and bake in 350 oven, until firm and slightly browned, flip over and bake the other side. It is a wonderful, healthy, satisfying dessert. Yummy.

Yesterday breakfast/lunch: V8 juice, one slice toasted Ezekial bread, with TBS chunky peanut butter. My berries with one banana. Half of my vitamins, including my B-12.

Mid-afternoon: 5/6 organic yellow corn chips dipped into my homemade cashew, red pepper and nutritional yeast spread. This is so delicious and creamy. Sometimes I mix it with water sauteed onions and crimini mushrooms into a mushroom Strogonoff, served over rice noodles.

Last nights dinner: A Buda bowl. A cup of brown rice, mixed with brown lentils, Half an Avocado, 1/4 mashed sweet potato, arugala, spinach, cuke and shredded carrot with Balsamic vinegar. Second half of my vitamins. An hour later, mu banana nut cookie.

TJ’s nuts. No, TJ’s no longer carries organic nuts...was told too expensive. My walnuts and almonds I order online; my sun/pumpkin I purchase from local grocery store.

Knowing my body benefits from eating this way gives me confidence. Can I drop dead tomorrow or go back into AF? Absolutely. Having had many bouts with cancers and now arrythmia, personally I feel strongly that we should all do our due diligence to take care of our bodies..the rest is scripted.

Catherine, if you keep eating like that and it catches on with the rest of the population, it will be disastrous for the medicos' business

Hi Joe, I’m always fascinated, both from reading and personal experience, the impact food has on our bodies and health.

Right before Christmas, my dear friend told me that her husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzeimers. I knew he had gone through tests and a CT scan and, so, we were all waiting, nervously, for the verdict. Not unlike other maladies, whether it concerns a loved one or me, I started reading and snooping on websites and aghast at the horrors of this disease and how challenging it is for traditional doctors to effectively treat it.

Not so with integrative doctors.

The first link is Dr. Neal Barnard who connects diet to diseases such as diabetes and Alzeimers and presents a strong argument connecting heart dusease to Alzeimers as both are vascular issues.

The second link is Dr. Dale Bredesen. This chap is to Alzeimers as Dr. Sinatra is to heart.



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/2018 07:01PM by Catherine.

Catherine:

Your food sounds very good, I however would have to have some meat like chicken, fish, eggs a little beef. I could not exist on just nuts, seeds, and beans for my protein, that doesn't give me enough energy. I do raise my own vegetables, berries and fruit. In the winter months I do have to buy my fruit, I have lots of veggies either frozen or in my root cellar.

Liz



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/2018 08:01PM by Elizabeth.

Yes diet is extremely important but so is genetics I have known people that ate a very good diet, exercised, did all the right things yet they got cancer, or some other disease. I have a Holistic doctor that does all the right things, yet he got an episode of AF while he was exercising, why? I know other people that smoke, drink, don't eat all that well, they have no AF and are pretty healthy. Genetics.

Liz

Elizabeth, I absolutely agree with you regarding genetics. I have folks close to me who literally abuse their bodies; smoking, guzzling diet cokes, greasy hamburgers...no heart disease, no cancer. My mother and her three brothers perished from heart disease, am I doomed? I don’t know. On the other hand, there’s no family history of cancer, yet I’ve had quite a few runins with the disease.

Sometimes I think it’s the luck of the draw.

Insofar as meat is concerned, believe me, I know the importance of meat in an individual’s life. My husband. His Sunday morning plate consists of two scrambled eggs, 4 strips of bacon, 2 link sausages, and a large white bread roll smeared with 1/2 stick of butter. I alternate his evening meals with one night chicken, one night beef. Both his parents died in their early 50’s of strokes.

When they did the pre-op workup for his aeortic valve surgery to check his arteries, the OR nurse wheeled him in commenting: He has the juiciest arteries I’ve seen on anyone. So much for eating like me. Right?

So, enjoy your meat and kudos on eating veggies. My husband will eat veggies if it had 1/2 lb. of butter and/or melted cheese on it. 😫

Catherine.......can I hire you? Lol that's awesome

I work for free, tsco. 😋

Catherine,

You do realize that your whole food plant-based diet emphasizing fruit, nuts, beans and lentils, and with a low cholesterol target is not in vogue. This type of diet has supposedly been discredited by Gundry and others. In fact, it hasn't been discredited at all. Barnard has a quality peer-reviewed research record to go along with his books. I try to eat mostly the way you describe and I am in remission from afib for well over a year. I also found that PVC's were always a prelude to afib, and I was able to get rid of them (and subsequently the afib) by eating mostly whole food and plant-based with some meats and no dairy, and also eating considerably less overall, to the point where my BMI is at the low end of normal. I do take rather old-school precautions against hypoglycemic episodes which I am prone to, and which in the past has precipitated PVC's and afib. I have found that eating nut butter and apples at critical times can thwart an episode, whereas loading up on protein and fats and stretching the time between meals does not work for me. I am very careful to not enter any kind of fasting state. Occasionally I take some very low dose 2.5 - 5 mg of Propranolol if I feel PVC's are threatening, a dosing my cardiologist feels is at a placebo level (he may be right). Oh, my morning staple is berries and bananas with organic rolled oats, and I seem to do fine with it.

Peter

Safib, Dr. Bredesen (Alzeimers) suggests fasting before the first meal; that is, at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. Apparently to slow down the build-up of plaque in the brain. Also absolutely no food at least three hours before bedtime because digestion robs good sleep. Very important to stave off this horrific disease.

What George suggested - thread up- makes a lot of sense and a couple of days ago I had my breakfast a little sooner (berries and banana)....no palps. So blood sugar plays a role in palps and AF. Thank you, George.

My commitment to eating this way is my lipid profile results and the fact that I’m losing weight (a few ounces a week) without hunger and cravings, BP meds cut in half and most likely no more in the next few months; bountiful amounts of energy for my age, walking every day, shoveling snow, cleaning my house, laundrey, beds, bathrooms, etc., have not A-Fibbed since June, but that doesn’t mean I won’t in the nex few minutes.

What I’ve discovered about eating this way and mentioning it to some around me creates a slight friction. I think it might be as provocative as talking politics and religion. 😄

Continued good health to you Safib, and everyone else in this wonderful forum.

Catherine - Thanks for providing your health history details and the eating plan that works for your biochemistry.
Congratulations that it is working so well for you. That's the critical focus. What keeps you healthy and med free.

By comparison and based on my own experiences, a very low carb diet works best for me. I could not consume that many sugary carbs from fruit on a daily basis... ie, prox. 17 grams of sugar in a banana.... but I do splurge a bit when homegrown fruits are in season.

As you mention, the preventive medical concern these days is protecting the brain from Alzheimer's and related disorders and it's good to see the many physicians out there who are now offering a focus on preventive guidance. I've listened to many webinars on the topic. Sadly, I've lost friends much too early from this devastating disorder and in hindsight, lifestyle choices along with genetics were obvious influences.

Most likely, when one observes a "clean eating" dietary regimen that is bio-compatible with one's genetic uniqueness, many disease manifestations will be curtailed and I truly hope that atrial fibrillation is one of them. Time will tell.

Best to you,
Jackie

Jackie - clearly one size does not fit all. Glad to know you’ve discovered what suits your biochemistry, as I have mine.

We’re experiencing a heatwave here in NE. 22 degrees and sunny.