If you have recently switched your diet to lose weight or to improve your eating and found your heart isn’t beating the way it should – there may be a good reason!

Researchers recently conducted a study investigating the effect of LOW CARBOHYDRATE diets on atrial-fibrillation (A-fib) and found that many lower carb diets are associated with increased heart rhythm problems!

The researchers observed that people who ate <45% of calories from carbohydrates were 18% MORE likely to have atrial fibrillation than those eating 45-52% carbohydrates in their diet. Those with a higher carb intake of >52% were still 16% less likely to develop A-fib than the low carb group. Even more importantly, the study noted that type/quality of fat & protein did NOT affect the results – meaning the carbs are a more likely culprit.

Why might that be, you ask? There are several reasons which the authors highlighted, including:

• Low carb diets often lead to lower intake of vegetables and fruits – which tends to INCREASE INFLAMMATION – and inflammation increases incidence of a-fib
• Additionally, lower carb diets mean higher fat & protein levels – and many times these can be less healthy forms e.g. hot dogs, processed lunch meats, trans fats, fried meats, excess cheeses, etc which can lead to more oxidative stress – aka aging – and this increases chances of A-fib

This author would add – low carb diets can also create fluid and electrolyte imbalances if not managed correctly, and more importantly, can eliminate the main sources of MAGNESIUM from the diet (green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts & seeds). Since magnesium is crucial for heart rhythm, this plus fluid/electrolyte imbalances can easily lead to many kinds of arrhythmias and heart rhythm issues!

However, the jury is still out on whether the low carbs are the CAUSE of the a-fib as this is just a correlational study! Don’t confuse the two and you’ll be way ahead of the game on reading the news! More time will tell how strong the relationship is.

BUT, does that mean lower carb diets are harmful? Absolutely not! It means that they need to be designed in a HEALTHY and BALANCED manner to ensure you get enough of the good ol’ fruits and veggies your mama said was good for you!

Eat more plants and less processed foods, drink plenty of fluids, get your minerals in, and you’ll be well on your way to good heart health. If you want help figuring out how to build that good diet into your life – give me a call!