Tachycardia & Nutrition

Tachycardia is a heart rate that is faster than normal. It can affect any or all your four heart chambers. Sometimes, tachycardia may cause no symptoms, while other times it can disrupt the heart enough to cause a heart attack. Causes of tachycardia can be physiological, nutritional or chemical. Your nutritional intake can impact several factors within your body that may trigger tachycardia.

Tachycardia Defined

Your heart rate is controlled by electrical signals that control the rhythm of your heart's pumping action. Rapid electrical signals can cause tachycardia. When your heart rate is too rapid, the heart cannot pump blood effectively to all the tissues and organs in the body. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are the five types of tachycardia. Many different causes and risk factors can instigate tachycardia, such as high blood pressure, nutritional imbalance, alcohol consumption, medication and fever.

Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system. It is used to increase mental clearness and processing, while decreasing drowsiness. Drinking more than five cups of coffee per day is considered excessive and may affect your heart rhythm enough to cause tachycardia. When alcohol is consumed it is not digested; it is absorbed directly into your blood stream. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with tachycardia. When you consume large amounts of alcohol, your red blood cells tend to clump together, which prevents oxygen delivery to your tissues. To compensate, your heart beats faster to try and circulate more oxygen to these deprived tissues.

Thiamin

Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, deficiency is associated with tachycardia. Thiamin is required for certain important enzyme reactions within your body. A deficiency in thiamin affects cardiovascular, nervous, muscular and gastrointestinal systems. Whole grains, legumes, nuts, lean pork, and yeast are rich sources of thiamin. In underdeveloped countries, reduced thiamin consumption causes thiamin deficiency, a disease called beriberi. Industrialized countries see beriberi resulting from alcoholism.

Minerals

Deficiencies in iron, magnesium and potassium can exhibit tachycardia as a symptom. Signs of iron deficiency include anemia, tachycardia and breathing faster than normal. Iron-rich foods include meat, seafood, lentils and tofu. Sufficient magnesium and potassium levels can be maintained by consuming whole grains, nuts, spinach, plums, raisins and bananas. According to a study by L.T Iseri in the 1985 "American Heart Journal", patients with tachycardia that were treated with magnesium and potassium infusion had favorable results.

Herbs and Supplements

Certain herbs and supplements contain stimulants that may cause tachycardia. Sometimes, cough and cold medications have stimulants as part of the ingredient list. Some medications may contain large doses of caffeine, which can cause a caffeine overdose leading to tachycardia. Also, certain dietary supplements contain ephedrine, ma huang, guarana and synephrine, all considered stimulants that can affect your heart rate.