You’re not alone if you’ve recently begun a ketogenic diet and are experiencing heart palpitations. Heart palpitations, or accelerated heart rate, are a typical side effect of switching from the carb-heavy conventional American diet to a diet high in fat, moderate in protein, and extremely low in carbs. Heart palpitations may seem frightening, but if you’re experiencing them due to a keto transition, there are several things you can take to avoid or prevent them entirely.
What are Heart Palpitations?
Heart palpitations can be described as a speeding heart or a fluttering sensation in the chest. Stress, strenuous exercise, coffee, hormonal disorders, and drugs are all potential causes of heart palpitations. There are more causes to be concerned about, especially if you have a history of cardiovascular illness (including heart disease), such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol levels, or high blood pressure. A condition known as atrial fibrillation might also be a factor. If you have heart palpitations, you must consult your doctor or a cardiologist, even if you believe it relates to your keto transition.
Heart palpitations are among the numerous symptoms of the “keto flu” in the context of a keto diet, which involves some unpleasant side effects that may occur when your body transitions from utilizing glucose (sugar/carbs) to using fat for energy. Constipation, poor breath, muscular cramps (particularly leg cramps), and weariness are other typical adverse effects.
What Causes Heart Palpitations on the Keto Diet?
Heart palpitations are usually caused by dehydration or a mineral shortage while starting a keto diet. This is why:
Dehydration
Following a low-carb diet and drastically reducing carbohydrate consumption, your body generates less insulin and depletes glycogen stores. When this occurs, your body excretes more water and glycogen (which is why you tend to lose water weight quickly on keto). Rapid water weight loss can lead to dehydration, and dehydration can induce heart palpitations.
Mineral Deficiency
As previously stated, when you reduce your carbohydrate consumption from a lot of carbohydrates to almost no carbs, you create less insulin (insulin processes the glucose in carbs). With less insulin in your system, your kidneys expel more salt, disrupting the balance of your critical electrolytes.
The three main electrolytes that can be impacted by keto are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium are all minerals that your heart needs. “Certain minerals, particularly macrominerals (minerals the body requires in large amounts), are necessary as electrolytes,” according to The Merck Manual for Consumers. Electrolytes are minerals with an electric charge when dissolved in a liquid like blood. Blood electrolytes aid in the regulation of nerve and muscle function as well as the maintenance of acid-base and water balance.”
What are the functions of these minerals? A lot!
SODIUM
Sodium is a mineral that is present in cells’ internal fluid. Sodium controls fluids, balances other electrolytes regulates blood pressure, and is essential for the electrical charge of muscle and nerve cells via delivering nutrients across cell membranes. (1) Getting adequate salt is crucial. Nevertheless, not all salt is made equal. Be careful to obtain the healthiest, highest-quality salt possible, free of anti-caking additives, such as Himalayan sea salt.
POTASSIUM
Potassium is an essential element that many of us are lacking in, and it is an essential “heart health” mineral. Because this mineral is necessary for the excitability of heart muscle, a deficit might contribute to heart palpitations (also known as heart arrhythmias). Just 3% of Americans get enough potassium, and the typical American gets slightly more than half of what they need. (2) Another critical role of potassium is to regulate blood pressure by lowering sodium reabsorption (3), which is why potassium can be as well when sodium is out of balance. Furthermore, because modern processed diets contain substantially less potassium than natural foods, many “healthy” persons nonetheless suffer from low potassium and associated heart palpitations. (4)
MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is a third necessary mineral associated with muscular excitability and contraction, particularly cardiac muscle. It maintains correct electrolyte levels inside cardiac muscle cells, a mineral many lacks. Our contemporary meals, like potassium, lack magnesium, and magnesium shortage is linked to muscular cramps, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, and weariness.
How to Remedy or Prevent Keto-Related Heart Palpitations
Keto-related heart palpitations are often transient and only occur during the transition to the ketogenic high-fat diet. This is the most probable time for your electrolytes to fall out of balance. These symptoms should go away as you regulate and settle into ketosis. But, putting your electrolytes in balance is an essential part of handling, and there are several simple methods to do so:
Drink salted water
If dehydration is the culprit, hydration is the solution! Add a pinch of Himalayan salt to your water to help balance your essential minerals and reduce keto flu symptoms as your body adjusts to its new fuel source. You can also get quick relief by drinking a little pickle juice!
Consume magnesium and potassium-rich vegetables
These critical minerals may be found in keto-friendly foods such as cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, and leafy greens.
Add a mineral drop supplement that contains all the essential electrolytes and minerals
Several keto experts advise using a supplement when switching to a keto diet, mainly to help reduce keto flu symptoms.
Consider taking a magnesium supplement to keep magnesium levels up
Magnesium is a mineral that most of us lack and can be challenging to obtain via food alone because modern soil is magnesium depleted (from pesticides and over-farming). Thus, taking a magnesium supplement might offer you peace of mind that you’re receiving enough, especially if you’re on keto and live an active lifestyle, which can deplete magnesium quickly.
The bottom line
Although experiencing heart palpitations while on keto may be unsettling, remember that they will subside as your body learns to utilize ketones for energy. Keep an eye on the health advantages of low-carbohydrate living. Meanwhile, stick to your keto meal plans, drink plenty of water, and keep your minerals balanced; balanced electrolytes assist in preserving regular heart-muscle contraction and rhythm.
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