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Can Too Much Vitamin D Cause Heart Palpitations

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New Study Links Excessive Amounts Of Vitamin D To Onset Of Atrial Fibrillation

Foods That Cause Heart Palpitations

Intermountain Medical Center researchers seek to identify safe levels for vitamin supplements

Intermountain Medical Center

SALT LAKE CITY While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, new research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute shows that too much vitamin D can lead to the onset of a dangerous heart condition known as atrial fibrillation.

Researchers at Intermountain Medical Center, the flagship facility for the Intermountain Healthcare system, studied more than 132,000 patients and found the risk of developing atrial fibrillation was two and a half times greater in those with excess levels of vitamin D compared to patients with normal levels.

Results of the study will be presented on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart’s upper chambers quiver instead of beating rhythmically, which can cause blood to pool and clot. Atrial fibrillation has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, heart attack, dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease.

T. Jared Bunch, MD, a heart rhythm specialist at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and lead investigator on the study, says the findings are significant because so many Americans use vitamin supplements to promote their health.

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Sharply Discounted Blood Tests

In 1996, we initiated a low-cost service whereby members could request their own blood tests.

A lot of people express surprise when their blood test results uncovers elevated glucose, triglycerides or the many other factors that predispose them to heart attack and stroke. These individuals often tell us these blood markers never used to be this high. We try to respond diplomatically, but our stark message is that your blood has never been tested when you were this old.

The irrefutable fact is that younger individuals often have low levels of vascular disease markers , but these insidious killers creep up as one ages. When blood test results reveal disease markers to be out of balance, corrective actions can be taken before irreversible disease manifests.

Culprits that preclude Ameri-cans from having their blood properly tested are inconvenience, long waits at doctors offices, physician ignorance about what tests to prescribe, and high costs.

Life Extension long ago solved these impediments by enabling members to order comprehensive blood tests directly, go to a drawing station in their area usually with no appointment required, and obtain the critical blood tests they need at a fraction of the price charged by commercial laboratories.

Once a year, the price of the comprehensive Male or Female Blood Test Panel is sharply discounted so that members can ascertain their disease risk status and initiate preemptive measures before acute illness strikes.

For longer life,

Magnesium Deficiency And Palpitations

Magnesium deficiency and palpitations: A magnesium deficiency is difficult to test through blood work. I find that even if the serum magnesium or RBC magnesium are within the reference range some patients still benefits from taking a magnesium supplement. If there are other magnesium deficiency symptoms occurring such as calf cramping and muscle spasms you should consult with your MD or ND to determine which type of magnesium you should take and what dose.

Also Check: Is 190 Heart Rate Bad

Putting The Puzzle Together

There was! In September, I happened upon an essay by Dr. Deva Boone on Hacker News. Dr. Boone told the story of Shannon, who had been supplementing Vitamin D for 5 years before starting to experience anxiety, insomnia, and, crucially, heart palpitations. Her symptoms progressed to difficulty speaking and catatonia. Six months after stopping her Vitamin D supplementation, Shannons serum Vitamin D levels had fallen to normal levels, and her symptoms had disappeared completely.

Dr. Boone suggested that high-dose Vitamin D can increase the bodys calcium absorption. High calcium levels can cause a long list of scary symptoms including heart palpitations. When caused by high Vitamin D levels, blood calcium can take a long time to decrease, because Vitamin D is fat soluble.

Shannons initial symptoms and backstory pretty much matched mine: five years of 5000 IU Vitamin D supplementation followed by heart palpitations. And although I didnt have my serum Vitamin D numbers, my most recent bloodwork showed blood calcium levels at the high end of normal .

I stopped supplementing Vitamin D that day.

Why Foods Cause Heart Palpitations

Heart Palpitations: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment ...

Feeling palpitations after eating is a relatively common experience, which tends to occur when a substance in your food or drinkor your bodys natural biochemical response to that substancejolts the hearts electrical system and causes fluttering sensations, skipped beats, or a feeling that your heart is beating too hard or too fast.

Coffee drinkers, think about the last time you drank one cup too many. You know what I mean!

If your heart is healthy and you have no history of arrhythmia or heart diseaseand youre not experiencing any other symptomstheres little need to worry about an occasional episode of these irregular beats. For people who do have arrhythmias;or cardiac issues, however, its a different story. Palpitations caused by food can cause an existing disruption in your hearts rhythm to escalate, and potentially lead to a major event.

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What Id Do Differently

I remember thinking that I really could get all of my needed nutrients from food. But that’s not as easy as I thought. The reality is that we don’t eat the variety of foods that our ancestors did – farming meant that we gravitated towards foods that grew easily, which removed many wild varieties. And with supermarkets, the variety of food has narrowed even further since supermarkets carry what sells and people usually eat what they’re familiar with. If you look in an heirloom seed book, there are many, many varieties of carrots for instance, not the four or five types that you get in even the most artisanal markets – those purple and red and yellow carrots are cool, but that’s just a tiny portion of the list. And, all of those more bitter, earthy options that supermarkets don’t carry actually have more nutrients that your body may be missing. Add to this the fact that with autoimmunity there’s a high chance that your body may not process or know how to use certain nutrients , and so no matter how much you eat of it your body will never use it. In the end as I discovered, supplementation is very important. And methylated versions are essential for those who who do not use certain nutrients well.

For me supplementation worked. But so did reducing stress – and I don’t mean the normal stress of everyday life. I mean the added stress that makes you feel anxious and tightens your chest, and that feels difficult to deal with daily.

Can You Have Too Much Vitamin D

The simple answer is yes. The principle that its possible to get too much of a good thing even extends to cancer-fighting, heart-protective vitamin D. You can take too much of just about any vitamin or supplement, and it is possible to suffer vitamin D toxicity.

How much is enough vitamin D? The National Institutes of Health s Office of Dietary Supplements recommends a daily intake of vitamin D of 600 IU for adults up to age 69 and 800 IU for adults 70 and older. The tolerable daily upper intake for vitamin D in adults is 4,000 IU .;

Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity can include a loss of appetite, weight loss, excessive urination, and heart arrhythmia. High doses of vitamin D can raise blood levels of calcium , which can damage the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels . One example of the kidney damage hypervitaminosis D can cause is the formation of kidney stones.

Also Check: How To Lower My Resting Heart Rate

How To Check And Maintain Healthy Vitamin D Levels

Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level. Youll take a simple blood test called 25- hydroxyvitamin D. The measurement is nanograms per milliliter, and its generally recommended to keep your levels between 30 and 60 ng/ml.

Dr. Michos suggests that to maintain healthy levels most adults on average probably need 1,000 to 2,000 International Unit a day. Though she adds that someone who lives in southern California and spends a fair amount of time in the sun might have healthy levels and not need supplements at all.

Conversely, women with levels well below 30 ng/ml might need a carefully monitored prescription of up to 50,000 IU per week for several weeks, followed by a lower over-the-counter dosage when vitamin levels are back to normal.

Although you can find vitamin D in fatty fish such as salmon, fortified orange juice, and milk, sunlight is the strongest natural source for vitamin D. Dr. Michos explains that getting about 10 minutes of moderate summer sun exposure can supply you with 3,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D. You would have to drink approximately 30 glasses of milk to match that amount.

Foods Highest In Magnesium

Vitamin D Supplement Toxicity Update – 2 Months After I Stopped

To increase your intake of magnesium naturally, try increasing you intake of these foods that are highest in magnesium content: Consider these foods:

Green vegetables Whole grain cereals , quinoa Nuts, seeds

The Cleveland Clinic on their web site lists magnesium rich foods https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15650-magnesium-rich-food.

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New Heart Benefits Of Vitamin D

blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Vitamin D plays many important roles in the bodyfrom strengthening your bones to boosting your immune system to help keep you healthy. Research also shows it keeps your heart and blood vessels in good working condition. Here are a few of the ways the so-called sunshine vitamin keeps the heart strong and healthy:

What To Do If Foods Cause You Heart Palpitations

First off, take note if you feel any additional symptoms, because those could signal that youre experiencing more than simple palpitations. Seek emergency medical help if at any point you also have:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain or discomfort in the upper back, arms, neck, or jaw
  • Feeling of impending doom

If its the first time youve ever noticed heart palpitations, make a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Its likely nothing is wrong, but its always best to err on the side of caution and make sure that the food-related episode isnt the first sign of a bigger issue.

Next, start a log and record times when the palpitations recur. Note what you ate or drank and what sort of emotional state you were in. If specific foods or beverages tend to cause recurrences, take that as a sign you should reduce or eliminate those foods from your diet. Your body and your heart couldnt be telling you any more clearly that those substances are doing you harm.

Also Check: What To Do When Someone Has A Heart Attack

Keep In Mind: The Supplements Industry Is Not Regulated

Our Top 3 Sources

In the US, vitamins and mineral supplements are not regulated by the FDA . Quality and potency will vary. So, its up to you to find reliable, unbiased information;to evaluate the vitamins, minerals, herbs;or supplements and to select reliable brands and products.

In our search for unbiased sources, we looked at;many, many;informational directories. Three searchable databases;rose to the top of;our list. See;Our Top 3 Sources for Reliable, Unbiased Info on Vitamins and Supplements.

Burgess, Jackie. The Strategy What Metabolic Cardiology Means to Afibbers, July 2010, p. 3. http://www.afibbers.org/resources/magnesiumabsorption.pdf

Life Extension magazine reports: On October 17, 2005, the FDA banned information about cherries health benefits from appearing on websites. The FDA sent warning letters to 29 companies that market cherry products. In those letters, the FDA ordered the companies to stop publicizing scientific data about cherries. According to the FDA, when cherry companies disseminate this information, the cherries become unapproved drugs subject to seizure. The FDA warns that if those involved in cherry trafficking continue to inform customers about these scientific studies, criminal prosecutions will ensue. Rowen, Robert Jay. FDA and Cherries. Second Opinion, Vol.XXIV, No. 6, June 2014. Read online at: http://www.anh-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CouldCancerVaccinesReplaceChemoandRadiation.pdf

How Many Palpitations A Day Is Normal

9 Common Causes of Heart Palpitation

palpitations

  • Breathe deeply. It will help you relax until your palpitations pass.
  • Splash your face with cold water. It stimulates a nerve that controls your heart rate.
  • Exercise. Sometimes, a vigorous workout can stop heart palpitations.
  • Don’t panic. Stress and anxiety will make your palpitations worse.
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    Electrocardiography And Holter Analysis

    The 12-lead electrocardiograms were recorded from each participant with sinus rhythm . Electrocardiograms were transferred to a personal computer via a scanner, magnified by Adobe Photoshop software, and then the duration of QT and RR intervals were measured. QT interval, which is the duration from the beginning of QRS complex to the end of T wave, was measured in a derivation in which T wave was clearly seen. Measured QT intervals were corrected by Bazetts Formula , and defined as corrected QT interval .

    Can Too Much Zinc Cause Heart Palpitations

    4.2/5Heart palpitationscausesmanyheartZincdiseaseZinc

    Study shows link between zinc levels and cardiac health. Summary: In addition to essential metabolic functions, the level of zinc in the body also affects the heart muscle. When oxidative stress occurs, it may be due to a shortage of zinc, which can be determined by examining the heart muscle.

    Also, what supplements can cause heart palpitations? Supplements. Some supplements can trigger a fast or irregular heartbeat. Examples include bitter orange, valerian, hawthorn, ginseng, and ephedra.

    Moreover, can too many vitamins cause heart palpitations?

    Dietary supplements and vitaminsAn excessive amount of vitamin D, for example, can give you palpitations. Weight-loss supplements are especially known to cause issues. Next: Sometimes palpitations are more dangerous than they initially seem.

    What are the side effects of zinc?

    In some people, zinc might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, metallic taste, kidney and stomach damage, and other side effects. Zinc is POSSIBLY SAFE when taking by mouth in doses greater than 40 mg daily. There is some concern that taking doses higher than 40 mg daily might decrease how much copper the body absorbs.

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    Vitamin D’s Effect On Calcium

    Vitamin D has a profound effect on calcium absorption. No matter how much calcium you ingest, you won’t absorb it well if you have low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D stimulates the expression of a number of proteins that help transport calcium from the intestine to your bloodstream, where around 1 percent of the body’s calcium stores remain. The rest resides inside bone and teeth, where it hardens bone and serves as an available source of calcium if your serum levels fall.

    Magnesium To Prevent A

    The Causes of Heart Palpitations

    Many kinds of heart surgeries are known to induce A-Fib and other arrhythmias. Though they often disappear after a few weeks, these arrhythmias are very troubling . Magnesium supplementation is now routinely used before;many surgeries to prevent patients from developing A-Fib after surgery.

    Anyone in A-Fib is almost certainly magnesium deficient.

    Recommended Reading: What Does A Slow Heart Rate Mean

    Magnesium Consumption And Heart Palpitations

    Adults typically need to consume between 310 and 420 milligrams of magnesium each day. This nutrient can be found in a variety of fiber-rich, plant-based products. These include foods like legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. You can obtain large amounts of magnesium from foods like seaweed, hemp seeds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts and peanut products.

    According to the National Institutes of Health, insufficient amounts of magnesium can result in cardiac problems like abnormal heart rhythms and coronary spasms. Magnesium deficiency also has the potential to cause hypokalemia or hypocalcemia .

    Like potassium, large amounts of magnesium can also produce cardiac side effects. Excessive magnesium in your body can result in gastrointestinal issues, low blood pressure, palpitations and even heart attacks. Magnesium toxicity is rare, but when it occurs, it can result in death. You’re more likely to experience magnesium toxicity if you’ve taken magnesium-containing laxatives or antacids.

    What Is Vitamin D

    A bit of an impostor, for one. Vitamin D is technically a prohormonenot a vitaminwhich means that its a substance that causes the body to create a hormone .

    In the case of vitamin D, about 90% of what exists in the human body is produced in response to sun exposure on the skin, hence its nickname the sunshine vitamin . From there, the liver and kidneys turn vitamin D into various substances that can be used for key bodily processes, like immune system support, bone health, and cancer protection.

    Much of the worlds population is deficient in vitamin Dup to 1 billion people worldwide, and 40% of Americans . Some researchers call it a silent epidemic. But that doesnt mean you should go balls-out in adding vitamin D to your daily routine.

    Recommended Reading: Does Magnesium Help With Heart Palpitations

    Excess Vitamin D Intake Relatively Rare

    Life Extension meticulously tracks its members blood test results to look for trends that may indicate beneficial or detrimental events occurring in their bodies.

    Before members started supplementing with higher doses of vitamin D, the majority had less than optimal levels, placing them at higher risk for contracting degenerative disease.

    Since members have been taking higher vitamin D doses, this insufficiency has been largely corrected with relatively few results above 100ng/mL, which can be easily reversed by reducing the daily dose of vitamin D.

    The more common challenge is someone taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day and still not being able to reach 50ng/mL.

    Since even conventional medicines upper limit reference range for 25-hydroxyvitamin D is 100ng/mL, anyone who had their blood tested should have been able to adjust their vitamin D downward if their reading was above this level.

    Critical Importance of Maintaining Optimal Vitamin D Status

    No other nutrient, drug, or hormone has gained more scientific credibility than vitamin D.

    Insufficient vitamin D is linked to virtually every age-related disorder including cancer,11-20vascular disease,21-25 and chronic inflammation.12,26-30 Adults with higher vitamin D levels contract substantially fewer cold, flu, and other viral infections.31-33

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