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Af and wheat/gluten

Gertsen profile image
14 Replies

Made a delicious tagliatelle carbonara last night with garlic bread, but around 10.30 I got an episode of AF. Heart blasting away for awhile, then settling down to just be irregular for about 9 hours all together. Does anyone know if there is a link between wheat and AF. I am sure my AF is food related.

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Gertsen profile image
Gertsen
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14 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

You may well have vagal AF where the vagus nerve can affect your heart rate. Since the vagus nerve also serves the gut amongst other things if you are wheat intolerant then any stomach issues could affect your AF. Many people find this but please don't think it is a cause. You have AF therefore you will get AF. Some people find that changes to diet and proper nutritional investigation can great improve quality of life for those with AF.

I would only be set off by eating food. The more I eat the more I get problems, so only small meals now. Trouble is when there's something on the table I love. You said it was delicious, did you eat too much? Could that be the trigger not the contents, just a thought.

I found cutting back on gluten and sugar helped a lot. I now eat a mixture of home prepped Sourdough usually with old grain varieties e.g. Spelt and Buckwheat bread from a quality source (AB Artisan Bread, Kent). I also avoid pasta and big carbs at night.

stix profile image
stix

Must ask also, because my last two episodes came after consuming garlic, is it a trigger ?

soupersue profile image
soupersue in reply tostix

If it is I would be in permanent AF as I eat loads of garlic. I believe it helps keep me healthy. But we all have different triggers and if you don't eat garlic very often who knows how it effects you.

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh in reply tostix

It could very well be since things affect people quite differently, and, importantly can affect the same person differently from one day to the next. I find this even though I am in persistent AF. Some things do exacerbate the AF.

heartmatters1 profile image
heartmatters1

Foods like what you are mentioning can cause me to have reflux/heartburn, which can then sometimes cause my heart to be erratic - usually a few hours later when I am in bed lying down. As Bob says if it is vagus AF then what one eats could set it off. I have be careful with any food which causes indigestion & also not to eat too large a meal.

NooNoo14 profile image
NooNoo14

I have vagal AF and, although quite a few foods affect me, it is usually things like potatoes, dense bread / cakes, chocolate, most red meats and even chicken if it's dry. I would doubt tagliatelle would trigger AF but, it is delicious and very easy to eat so maybe if you ate too much, that could definitely be the cause. As others have said, little and often is the key.

NooNoo

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh

What was in the sauce?

Gertsen profile image
Gertsen in reply toPeterWh

Cream, onions, mushrooms, ham and egg.😊

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh in reply toGertsen

The most suspect us the ham (assuming the rest of the sauce didn't have too much in it) - was it homemade or shop bought?

Gertsen profile image
Gertsen in reply toPeterWh

Homemade😊

Dayu profile image
Dayu

I had a AF episode after a curry and it was probably caused by the constant burping...have a meditarrean diet, best

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957

I am convinced gluten triggers AF episodes for me - although I can get away with small amounts occasionally. Gluten cases inflammation in the body. Which is not a good state to be in for heart health apart from anything else. Diet and lifestyle plays quite a big part in the management of AF for me. I eat a ton of garlic with no effects on AF, luckily! 🙂

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