Your Food Intake is Related to Your Heart Rate

Food plays a major role in the cause and prevention of numerous health problems. The nutrients in food provide the chemicals needed to fuel your body and keep your heart and other organs functioning. The foods you eat and the foods you avoid determine the health and stability of your organs, cells and body tissues. Your heart and other organs alert you to a problem with warning signals, such as increased heart rate and chest pains.
Mineral Deficiencies and Heart Rate
A diet deficient in foods containing the mineral iron can lead to anemia with symptoms, such as rapid or irregular heartbeat, weakness, dizziness and unhealthy pallor. Two causes of anemia are an insufficient number of red blood cells and a low hemoglobin level. Hemoglobin is a protein molecule that transports oxygen from your lungs to tissues throughout your body and carries carbon dioxide back to your lungs. Treatment for anemia depends on the cause of the problem and can include dietary changes, supplements, blood transfusions and surgery. Foods high in iron include spinach, lean red meat, fish, liver, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals and breads. Broccoli, strawberries and orange juice are among the foods that help your body to absorb iron. Drinking coffee or tea with meals interferes with iron absorption.
Your heart and other organs, muscles, teeth and bones require the mineral magnesium. Low levels of magnesium affect the heart rate, cause abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, muscle spasms and other symptoms of deficiency. Magnesium deficiencies are rare, but occur with excessive consumption of coffee, soda, alcohol, salt, prolonged stress and illnesses, such as ulcerative colitis, diabetes and kidney disease. Foods containing magnesium include whole grains, nuts, green vegetables, oatmeal and baked potatoes with skin. If you have any concerns about mineral deficiencies do not self-diagnose, make dietary changes or take dietary supplements without consulting your physician.
Food, Medication and Heart Rate
Eating or drinking foods containing caffeine when using bronchodilators or taking other medications can cause an increase in your heart rate. Cardiac medications, such as ACE inhibitors, increase blood levels of potassium. Eating foods high in potassium, like bananas, green leafy vegetables and salt substitutes, elevates potassium levels, resulting in an irregular heartbeat, according to FDA.gov. Consult your doctor or pharmacist in reference to specific foods that alter the effects of your cardiac, cholesterol, blood pressure and other medications.
Eating Disorders Affect Heart Rate
Eating disorders are food-related problems that contribute to major health issues and, for some of their victims, end in death. The low heart rate associated with the eating disorder anorexia is the result of food deprivation. Anorexia involves extreme caloric restriction, fear of food, fear of weight gain and eating-related compulsive behavior. According to EatRight.org, one out of 10 people who have an eating disorder die.
Bulimia is an eating disorder that causes an irregular heartbeat and can lead to heart failure. Symptoms include food binges followed by purging and always viewing oneself as overweight regardless of actual weight. Bulimics are never satisfied with their bodies and always fear gaining weight.
Heart attacks, high blood pressure and other heart-related problems are associated with compulsive overeating, another eating disorder. Victims of this disorder continue to eat beyond satiety, using food to deal with emotional issues.
Maintaining a Healthy Heart Rate
Eating a healthy diet reduces your risk of heart disease and increases your heart's ability to function at a healthy rate. In "10 Tips for Healthy Meals," ChooseMyPlate.gov recommends filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit; choosing lean protein sources, such as lean beef, pork, chicken and seafood; avoiding extra fat in cheese sauces and gravies; and choosing low-fat Parmesan cheese as an option, eating and drinking fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol increase the risk of plaque buildup in your arteries. Arteries narrowed by plaque buildup force your heart to beat faster to pump blood throughout your body.