It can be distressing if, after
taking a bite of food or sip of a beverage, your heart suddenly feels
like it's racing or skips a beat.
While in a minority of situations this
could be cause for a call to your doctor, most times you're likely just
reacting to an ingredient or chemical in the food.
For example,
capsaicin in peppers, caffeine and sugar all have been linked to causing
some type of heart rate response.
Peppers
Capsaicin
is a hot, spicy compound found in different types of peppers, such as
cayenne pepper and chili peppers.
It is used for increasing pain signals
to decreasing pain signals, treating nervous system problems and
cluster headaches.
When used as a supplement, or added to your diet,
capsaicin acts as an antioxidant and protects the body against harmful
free radicals associated with aging, including high blood pressure and
heart disease.
A 2010 study published in the journal "Cell Metabolism"
found that in rats, capsaicin helped to relax blood vessels in
hypertensive animals.
Eating foods with cayenne pepper or chili peppers
over a long period of time could possibly help reduce blood pressure in
humans.
In regions of the world where diets are rich in chili
pepper-based spicy foods, such as parts of China, hypertension is
significantly lower compared to regions where the ingredient is not as
popular.
advertisementte
If
you're a regular coffee drinker, you're well aware of its heart-jolting
capabilities. In 1998, researchers from Duke University Medical Center
studied the effects of moderate doses of caffeine on blood pressure in
individuals while at work.
Volunteers received 100 mg or 500 mg of
caffeine on two separate days. Typical blood pressure readings and heart
rate were significantly higher when a higher dose of caffeine was
consumed.
One aspect of the study was to show that caffeine alone is
responsible for an increase in heart rate, independent of other factors
such as stress levels and physical activity.
Outside of beverages like
coffee, tea and colas, caffeine is also found in chocolate candy,
caffeinated gum, ice cream and frozen yogurt -- even those that are not
coffee-flavored.
Baked Goods
It
has only been recently revealed in the past decade that the link
between hyperactivity in children and sugar consumption is a myth.
However, for some people, a diet high in sugar can have an impact on
your heart rate. When you eat, fuel is converted into glucose, a type of
sugar, which is transported to cells and used for energy.
Some foods
convert into glucose more quickly, including simple sugars, found in
everything from candy to baked snacks, tomato sauces, salad dressings
and much more.
In the short term, sugar can heighten your physical
energy and slightly boost your heart rate without burdening your
cardiovascular system. The downside is that any energy you take in will
be stored as fat if you are sedentary.
Sugar Substitutes
Sugar
substitutes have been introduced as a healthier, low-calorie
alternative to ordinary table sugar. Fructose, mainly found in fruit
juices and honey, is a component of table sugar, but is twice as sweet.
This means you can use much less to achieve the same flavor, and take in
fewer calories. In 2008, researchers from the University of Fribourg in
Switzerland revealed that fructose consumption could elevate blood
pressure and heart rate in young, healthy people.
In the study,
over-consumption of fructose beverages significantly increased blood
pressure, heart rate and cardiac output.
Ingesting fructose and glucose,
also known as high fructose corn syrup, can also result in increased
blood pressure in some people. If you want to know if your food contains
this sweetener, read the ingredient label before purchasing honey,
salad dressing, applesauce, or other foods made with sugar.
0 comments:
Post a Comment