A normal adult's resting heart rate averages between 60 and 100 beats per minute, according to MayoClinic.com's discussion of heart health. However, the heart rate can fluctuate significantly, beating more slowly or more quickly, in response to a number of factors including exercise, dehydration, emotion, and even climate conditions. Among these, food plays a significant role, as common beverages, foods and herbs cause the heart to slow down or speed up.
Significance
The heart responds to chemical and neurological signals within the body, external stimuli such as weather, altitude and emotional triggers, and a wide range of ingested substances. Medications for a variety of conditions may cause a temporary slowing or increase in the heart rate. Even eating a large meal can temporarily slow the heart rate. MayoClinic.com reports on heart rate point out that a number of common beverages, foods and dietary supplements can cause changes in the normal resting heart rate.
Beverages And Heart Rate
Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the heart. Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and sodas, can temporarily raise the heart rate. The National Institutes for Health points out that although teas and sodas contain less caffeine than coffee, for individuals with heart disease or heightened sensitivities to caffeine, these beverages can cause complications, such as an irregular heartbeat or even death. Green tea, touted for its antioxidant properties and support for the immune system, can in large quantities cause a rapid heart rate.
Foods And Heart Rate
Kinds and quantities of food can affect the heart rate. According to a report by the National Institutes of Health, simply consuming a meal can raise the heart rate and blood pressure, as the metabolism works to convert calories to energy. Spicy foods, such as mustard and many kinds of peppers, may also increase the heart rate, and in sensitive individuals, the heart rate may rise after eating certain foods as an allergic response.
Herbs And Supplements
A number of herbal supplements, taken for a variety of health concerns ranging from erectile dysfunction to memory improvement, can increase the heart rate -- sometimes to a dangerous degree. MayoClinic.com reports that ginseng, often taken as an immune system support, can cause an elevated heart rate as well as hypertension, and ephedra, marketed as an aid to weight loss, can raise the heart rate as well as cause stroke, heart attack and seizures. Likewise, according to a report by the National Institutes for Health, yohimbe, used for sexual dysfunction, depression and improved athletic performance, may also elevate the heart rate.
Considerations
Although the heart rate may rise during metabolic activity, such as after eating a meal, Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes for Health stress that substances which may raise the heart rate should be used with care. Even apparently safe substances, such as green tea, may have adverse effects when taken in large quantities, and supplements that elevate heart rate may trigger severe effects, such as hypertension and heart attack.
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