AF and cake.

[jennydog]

Jeanjeannie's post mention, yesterday, about cake triggering AF has struck a chord with me.

I have never linked food with my AF until recently although I have read all about the vagus nerve on this site. In an attempt to lose weight I have cut out added sugar, so no cake for ages.

Last week some friends came to stay so I bought a walnut cake and a jam and cream roll. Most was left after they departed. Now, I cannot cope with waste so over 3 days I ate the cakes. I had 2 consecutive afternoons of AF even though I had had none for several months,

So, does added sugar trigger my AF? It must do, so lesson learned.

[Finvola]

Yes - I'm holding my hand up! Scoffing a Cadbury's easter egg a couple of years ago did it for me and since I've been taking Flecainide I try (very hard) to avoid added sugar. Recently had some chocolates and the following day was plagued with ectopics so I stick to my small amount of 85% dark chocolate as much as possible.

[Perrylees]

Disaster!!

Not sure I could even conceive of/contemplate a cakeless life.....& I guess the trouble with this sort of thing is that finding an alternative is fraught with danger. I hope you CAN find something delicious instead although being AF free is perhaps reward enough?

Ruth

[jennydog in reply to Perrylees]

The big problem with sugar is that it's addictive. If you eat one sweet thing then you crave more. Hence one slice of cake leads to another. The secret is to not have it in the house and to cease baking cakes. I am eating satsumas and apples instead.

[Hidden]

Hello Jenny, my story's a long one so I won't bore you with it but my palpitations started 20 years ago and I was told it was just electrical impulses that were causing it, so I learned to live with it. But I used to think certain foods were bringing them on but couldn't pin it down. I was diagnosed with AF last year and am taking 7.5mg Bisoprilol and have also had a Pacemaker fitted, I now have very few episodes of AF and if I do it's just flutters, not the full blown kind that we all hate. I notice that it comes on sometimes when I eat sugar but also if I overload my stomach. The other day I read a post from Elaine on here, who mentioned a Dr Sanjay Gupta , his videos are on YouTube. I found him very interesting to listen to and on one of his videos he talks about the kind of foods that affect AF. If you've not heard of him , have a listen, he'll give you food for thought !

[jennydog in reply to Hidden]

Hi Scottiesmom, that's very interesting. Shamefully, I did eat an awful lot of very sugary cake so it was due to overload. A single piece has no effect that I can recognise.

I will look at Dr Gupta's video. I think he's great. Thank you for highlighting it.

Best wishes.

[Elaine1951 in reply to Hidden]

Indeed Sanjay is excellent. Finally doctors communicate their knowledge but also listen and learn from patients. !

Too much food f any kind makes me sleeps v badly and that triggers ectopicd I think. Mono sodium glauconite is well known as s trigger for many so shop bought cakes will be full of it

[Hidden in reply to Elaine1951]

Thanks for that Elaine, and thanks also for introducing us to Dr Sanjay, he is excellent. I'm learning a lot on here from people like yourself who take the time to share their experiences. Stay well.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

G'day scottiesmum,

Your post resonates with me. Looking at my family history there is definitely a predisposition to AF, specifically on my fathers side. But from my own perspective my sort of timeline is as follows - 1) carrying my mobile phone in my shirt pocket (left side approx. region of the heart, from mid 2007, practice discontinued in 2009 after listening to a BBC radio programme on electro sensitivity then 2) the start of massive palpitations during this time which continued after I ceased carrying my mobile phone in my shirt pocket, then 3) Jan 2010 - diagnosed with paroxysmal AF, then 4) mid 2010 I began to relate the onset of an AF event with food I'd eaten and digestive issues. I got checked out for IBS and Coeliac Disease, all clear, then 5) I consulted a Nutritionist who put me on a course of probiotics and suggested I go Gluten Free and wheat free and consider the FODMAPS diet. This took a year or so to sort out and so now 6) my last recorded AF event was in April 2015.

I would also add that I also went 'added sugar' free in Feb 2015. I did this because my blood sugar reading was borderline pre diabetic and diabetes killed my Dad. so now, no diabetes and no AF.

Cheers,

John

PS sorry this is a bit untimely, been busy and not on here very much lately.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your interesting post John, i'm new to this forum and i'm learning all the time. I don't get full blown AF now but that's not to say I won't again, i'm just keeping my fingers crossed. I haven't heard of the FODMAPS diet so i'm going to read up on it, and as much as I try to go added sugar free, I sometimes find it hard. Even though we have diabetes in the Family, my sweet tooth takes over ! Your willpower is better than mine and has paid off for you. Smashing news that you've been AF free for 15 months, and may it continue. Stay well

[Jonathan_C]

Is sugar the problem or is it the preservatives that are contained in sugary foods that are the trigger?

[jennydog in reply to Jonathan_C]

I have not thought about preservatives but it makes sense.

I help in the tea bar at the local hospital and have often commented on the long use-by dates on packaged cakes. I have been buying cake, rather than baking, purely for the convenience and not thinking about the chemical content.

Time for a drastic rethink!

[Hidden]

I am convinced it is the preservatives that are the demons. have you tries a home made cake, these do not have preservatives and eat only one slice as challenge. no the three quarters of cake do not equal one slice (family joke). there are also other additives in commercial cakes. I love a challenge.

Good luck in finding your trigger.

[Hidden]

I have to say that I haven't had an episode since last November, and I've been on a cake-free diet since then. But I did have a cupcake for my birthday recently, and cracked last week, made some meringues, and ate them. All. Bad Lizzie! It's probably affected my waistline but my AF didn't come back, so I am guessing either it's preservatives and not pure sugar, or I personally am not triggered by sugar (but then I have told myself firmly that I'm not going to test it again!). Perhaps it's something in baked goods generally, which are a no-no on a diet, that is a trigger? Who knows...

[PeterWh in reply to Hidden]

Quite probably the preservatives but also the sugar. At the start of this phase of my AF journey EP said no processed foods, minimise all foods bought ready to eat and to minimise sugar.

May not cure but will very much help!!!

[Hidden in reply to PeterWh]

That's really interesting Peter, I've seen a cardiologist but never an EP, that's something I really didn't know. Thank you for that!

[PeterWh in reply to Hidden]

Also minimise salt (but not exclude completely - its surprising how much salt there is in food - eg mince!!!, tinned tuna, etc).

Also I tend to try and cook my own cold meats (eg beef, etc) since quite often with shop ones, even those ion the deli counters, they have additives to "pad them out" and make them keep longer and to be more appealing!!!

[jennydog in reply to PeterWh]

Interesting. My GP warned me to restrict salt intake when I was pregnant with my first son. She said that salt caused fluid to be held in the tissues.

When I attended a Cancer Help Clinic they warned against smoked and charred food. It's easy to avoid smoked foods and there have been recent warnings about burnt food at BBQs.

[Hidden in reply to PeterWh]

I hadn't thought about the salt in pre-prepared food like tinned tuna and cold meats - all in the name of being more appealing to customers!

[PeterWh in reply to Hidden]

Well I started looking a bit just over 18 months ago and then when I went back into persistent AF less than 72 hours after my ablation became much more vigilant. For over 35 years I have not added salt or sugar. Even with things like rhubarb no sugar and custard just a small spoon. Never cooked vegetables with salt nor added when on plate. Long before it became fashionable!!! Mind you I still end up with AF and other heart problems!!! I console myself that I would have been in a much worse position.

Anyway over a year ago I did a tot up of salt, sugar, fat, etc and it was frightening. I reckon pre AF my intake of sugar and salt was well over 3 times the recommended daily maximum and even after ablation I reckon about double. I have cut it back more now.

[Hidden in reply to PeterWh]

I tend to put salt into the water when I cook veggies... I will have to revisit some of my habits, I can see! I reckon it must be frightening to actually work out your intake of sugar and salt, I'm not sure I can handle it!

[PeterWh in reply to Hidden]

I am sure you can handle it. Also you will find how very much tastier things are without salt. I get reminded of that when I have lunch at an elderly relative to Ho insists on using salt!!!!