The Ingredient In Your Food That Could Be Giving You Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations are no fun. That feeling of fluttering and fast beating in your chest is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety or that something is not right. While heart palpitations can be caused by many different factors including stress, exercise, a prescription medication, or even an underlying medical condition, according to the Mayo Clinic, they can also be triggered by eating certain foods. Alcohol and salt can both make the heart beat faster (via Healthline), but for a lot of us, heart palpitations are simply caused by consuming too much caffeine. 

According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, coffee and other high caffeine beverages like energy drinks can cause heart palpitations. Heart palpitations are among the most common symptoms of heart rhythm disorders. So while it may be excess caffeine consumption that is triggering your heart palpitations, you should talk to your doctor to rule out more serious conditions.

If coffee and other caffeinated beverages can cause heart palpitations, does that mean they can damage the heart? Well, no need to give up your morning Joe just yet. According to the American College of Cardiology, there is no link between caffeine intake and abnormal heart rate conditions, and even people with disorders like abnormal heart rhythm should not be worried about consuming coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages. In fact, coffee may even reduce the risk of developing heart conditions like atrial fibrillation.

According to a 2022 press release by the American College of Cardiology, people who consume two to three cups of coffee actually have lower rates of heart attacks, stroke, blockages of arteries, and arrhythmias than those that did not drink coffee or only had a cup a day. The researchers even concluded that the overall risk of death was lower in those that drank two or three cups of coffee a day, meaning that coffee might just be a longevity tonic!

For those that experience heart palpitations after drinking caffeine, though, lowing your intake may help with avoiding this effect. But according to science, there is no actual risk of damage to the heart. Just make sure you consume a safe amount of less than 400 mg daily, per FDA.