The ketogenic (keto) diet has gained immense popularity as a quick way to lose weight and improve health. Applauded by many for its rapid weight loss results and potential reversal of weight-related issues like Type II Diabetes and PCOS, the keto diet involves a significant shift in macronutrient intake. It is a low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet. A typical ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrate intake to below 5%, essentially starving the body of its preferred energy source. This drastic reduction in carbs induces a metabolic state called ketosis, wherein your body actively uses fats as a primary energy source. Your body starts to burn those fats and help you lose those extra kilos.
While the weight loss aspect of the diet is generally accepted, some individuals experience side effects, including headache, muscle fatigue, and, notably, heart palpitations. This article delves into the relationship between the keto diet and increased heart rate, exploring the causes, potential risks, and management strategies.
What are Heart Palpitations?
Heart palpitations, also known as cardiac arrhythmia, are the sensation of your heart beating too fast, too hard, or irregularly. It can feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, or skipping beats. You actually can feel it. While heart palpitations can be alarming, they are often harmless and temporary, especially when related to dietary changes like starting a keto diet.
Keto and Increased Heart Rate: Is it Normal?
Experiencing increased heart palpitations and blood pressure while on a keto diet is pretty much usual for a keto dieter to have to deal with a slightly higher heart rate during the first few weeks of the Keto diet. It's actually “normal” for you to experience a slightly higher heart rate during the first few weeks of the diet. This phenomenon is not uncommon, and in most cases, it is not a cause for serious concern. However, it's crucial to understand the underlying reasons and when to seek medical advice.
Potential Causes of Heart Palpitations on Keto
Several factors can contribute to heart palpitations when starting a ketogenic diet:
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Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance
The main reason behind this condition is dehydration and lack of salt content in your body. On a keto diet, you eat a lot of fats and proteins. The extra fats and proteins that you take on a keto diet require a lot of water to get digested. These require a lot of water to get digested. An increased intake of these leads to the drainage of your water content and thus other fluids.
When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, the body excretes sodium in large amounts. This is because ketosis causes a reduction in water weight. Glycogen, the storage form of glucose in muscles and liver, binds water. This gets flushed out when you reduce carb intake. It’s one of the main reasons why people lose weight rapidly in the first week of a very low carb diet.
This loss of water and electrolytes, particularly sodium, potassium, and magnesium, can disrupt the delicate balance necessary for proper heart function, leading to palpitations.
Release of Stress Hormones
In some cases, heart palpitations might be a consequence of the release of stress hormones. The body perceives the sudden change in diet as a stressor, triggering the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can elevate heart rate.
Improperly Executed Keto Diet
The camp that thinks that Ketogenic Diet is an unhealthy fad is also right (in a sense) - The Ketogenic Diet can indeed have harmful effects BUT only when it is improperly and carelessly executed. The opposition of a Ketogenic Diet is actually an opposition to an improperly executed Ketogenic Diet.
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Medication Interactions
If you suffer from diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, it is very likely that your heartbeat increases in frequency, this is because by decreasing the consumption of glucose decreases the need to take medications to reduce diabetes, as well as hypertension improves markedly with a low carb diet; therefore the usual dose of medications that you usually consume will be very high causing heart palpitations. The diet's extreme carbohydrate restrictions may lead people to shun most vegetables and fruits and consume large amounts of leafy greens. But the vitamin K in these foods may interfere with the anti-clotting drug warfarin taken by some heart patients.
Adaptation Phase
During this adaptation phase, you may experience some temporary side effects. In the beginning of ketosis, you may experience a range of negative symptoms. People often call these the “low carb flu” or “keto flu” because they resemble symptoms of the flu. These issues may discourage people from continuing to follow a ketogenic diet before they start noticing the benefits. However, the “low carb flu” is usually over within a few days.
Addressing Heart Palpitations on Keto
If you experience heart palpitations while on a keto diet, here are some steps you can take:
Stay Hydrated
The most effective and reliable cure to this condition is to stay hydrated with water and other fluids. Consume at least 68 ounces (2 liters) of water a day. A significant amount of weight lost in ketosis is water, especially in the beginning.
Increase Salt Intake
Also, make sure you add enough salt to your diet. The body excretes sodium in large amounts when carb intake is low. Ask your doctor if you should be adding salt to your food.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Replenish Electrolytes
Increase mineral intake. Foods high in magnesium and potassium may help relieve leg cramps.
Reduce Coffee Intake
Drinking a lot of coffee might also contribute to this.
Monitor and Adjust
If your heart palpitations happen infrequently and go away fast, they likely are not serious. In most cases, they go away quickly. If the heart palpitations are occasional and pass away instantaneously, then they are not a serious threat.
Consult Your Doctor
Consult the doctor. In case you suffer from diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, it is very likely that your heartbeat increases in frequency. If the problem doesn’t stop, you might need to increase your carb intake. If you are on a keto diet and you can’t figure the case with you.
Potential Risks of Keto Diet
While the keto diet has been applauded for its rapid weight loss results and potential reversal of weight-related issues like Type II Diabetes and PCOS, it's essential to acknowledge the potential risks associated with this dietary approach. While the diet may dramatically reduce fat mass and weight over the short term, there is scarce evidence for any long-term benefit.
Cardiovascular Concerns
The review summarized the current evidence on how keto diets may raise heart disease risk. Ketogenic diets appear to lower blood levels of triglycerides but raise levels of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.
Kidney Issues
Although uncommon, some children with epilepsy have developed kidney stones on a ketogenic diet. Experts recommend regular kidney function monitoring while following the diet. Some of the negative effects, such as dehydration and low blood sugar can lead to emergency room visits.
Not Suitable for Everyone
The keto diet is not suitable for people with a number of conditions, including: pancreatitis, liver failure, carnitine deficiency, porphyria, disorders that affect the way their body processes fat. People with type 1 diabetes are not recommended this diet, because it increases the risk of producing ketoacidosis.
Is Keto Right for You?
The keto diet can be a great tool to lose weight and improve one’s health but it’s not right for everyone. There are plenty of other great nutritional plans out there to follow that will lead you to a healthier lifestyle.
People who are thinking of starting a keto diet should first talk to a healthcare provider who can help them decide if it’s a good option for them.