Your heart rate can increase or decrease throughout the day, depending on what you're doing. Exercise, for example, can increase your heart rate in the short-term but decrease it in the long-term by lowering your resting heart rate.

Another significant cause of heart rate fluctuation is what your diet consists of, as what you eat and drink can also have an effect your heart.

However everyone is different, so some types of food or drink, along with the amount, may affect you in a completely different way than it does your friends, family, co-workers, etc.

And note that if your heart rate increases to a level that you notice it but this only happens occasionally, it is usually not something to be overly concerned with.

However, if you have been diagnosed with arrhythmia, irregularities in your heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm, take that situation much more seriously; communicate with a health professional about why this might be happening.

Keep in mind that experiencing heart palpitations after eating and drinking can be common as your body processes the food and drinks.

That said, an especially large meal will naturally tend to have more of an impact because much more blood is being utilized by your digestive system, causing an increase in blood pressure.

Food or Drink That Can Affect Heart Rate

Although any food or drink has the potential to affect your heart rate, there are a few that more commonly do so.

Caffeine

Caffeine, commonly found in coffee, tea and energy drinks, has the potential to impact your heart rate, especially if drink more than normal.

However, the opposite can be true as caffeine withdrawal can affect your heart rate as well. Either your body is being overstimulated or is experiencing a lack of the stimulation.

Theobromine

Theobromine is the primary alkaloid of the cacao bean and can be found in chocolate-based food and beverages. It has the ability to increase your heart rate.

Herbal Supplements

Some herbal supplements contain stimulants that have the potential to increase your heart rate while others can lower it.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol may result in heart palpitations and lead to atrial fibrillation. This is partially because it can damage your heart cells, which usually results in a faster heart rate.

In addition, alcohol has a dehydrating effect; that can increase a person's heart rate on its own.

Sodium

Eating a significant amount of high-sodium food can affect your heart rate as well, primarily as the result of increased blood pressure. That occurs as your body retains water in an attempt to reduce the percentage of your blood that has been infused with sodium, which leads to increased blood volume.

So, you should limit your consumption of highly processed foods, including those that have been canned. Soup and deli meats also tend to have considerable amounts of sodium.

Carbohydrates

Simply consuming high-carbohydrate foods, particularly ones containing processed sugars, can cause heart palpitations, especially for those who have hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Water

Not keeping yourself hydrated may result in heart palpitations. That is because a dehydrated body experiences reduced blood flow and a harder-working heart.

Potassium

Less potassium than is recommended can result in the development of arrhythmia. Make sure that you are regularly eating foods such as bananas, spinach, potatoes and avocados.

Iron

Iron can cause heart palpitations if it is not a regular part of your diet as people with anemia tend to regularly experience them. Conversely, too much iron can also have the same result.

Fruits and Vegetables

In general, having a greater percentage of your diet consist of fruits and vegetables will result in a healthier lower resting heart rate.

This is especially true for green vegetables and leafy greens, thanks to the vitamin K1 that they contain, a vitamin that helps reduce your resting heart rate.

Spicy Foods

Spicy foods have the potential to cause heartburn, which is often accompanied by a pounding heart.

Saturated Fats

A diet that includes a considerable amount of saturated fats will usually increase your cholesterol level and, if it continues, harden and narrow your arteries.

With narrower arteries, your body attempts to effectively get blood through these smaller tunnels, resulting in a higher heart rate.

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, can improve your blood flow, which will usually result in a lower resting heart rate.

Omega-3s

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids tend to cause a lower resting heart rate as well as reduce the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat.

Omega-3s are found in fish, tofu, flaxseeds, avocados and olives.

Tyramine

Tyramine is a compound that is found in cheese, sauerkraut, and soy sauce and can affect your blood pressure and heart rate.

Those who are taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor should be especially wary of consuming foods with tyramine as their blood pressure could easily increase to a dangerous level.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

MSG, which is sometimes included in foods eaten in restaurants as well as some types of processed foods in order to enhance their flavor, can cause heart palpitations, particularly in individuals who are especially sensitive to it.

Whole Grains

Whole grains can have positive direct and indirect effects on your diet. They in themselves help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower a person's resting heart rate.

In addition, whole grains tend to keep you full for an extended time, which helps reduce the likelihood of you overeating and gaining excess weight.

Other Common Factors that Affect Heart Rate

Extra Weight

Carrying extra weight as the result of consuming more calories than is healthy can increase your resting heart rate. That is because being overweight causes your heart to need to increase its workload to take care of your body.

Allergies

If you are allergic to a type of food or drink, such as a nut, fruit, fish or dairy product, you may experience a significant change in your heart rate after eating or drinking it even if your portion size is normal.

This is partially because it takes more energy to operate a larger body than is healthy.

Nutrition and Your Heart Rate

Diet has a tremendous impact on every area of your life, and your heart rate is an important element of that.

Focusing on consuming more food and drinks that are likely to result in a healthier heart rate and on eating and drinking a lower amount of the types that tend to have the opposite effect is recommended.

In general, heart palpitations that occur after consuming something that caused them are not nearly as serious of a concern as an increased resting heart rate.

For that reason, most should focus more so on the long run, on the big picture, as far as eating a diet that is more likely to result in that healthy resting heart rate while also being wary of experiencing many short-term heart rate changes.