10 Foods You Eat Every Day Are Secretly Worsening Your Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is a type of irregular heartbeat that can cause stroke, and heart failure and over 2.3 million Americans suffer from it. If you are unfortunate enough to be one of them, avoiding or limiting the following 10 foods can reduce your risk of an A-fib episode. Please click through to find out.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine can increase your heart rate and make you more susceptible to an A-fib attack or other heart arrhythmias.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol can trigger an A-fib episode in people with heart disease or diabetes. One drink for women and two for men should be the maximum amount.

3. Salt

Salt raises your blood pressure, which can increase your risk of atrial fibrillation. The American Heart Association recommends people with high blood pressure eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day.

4. Leafy Greens

If you're on wafarin for A-fib, you should eat less leafy green vegetables (broccoli, kale, spinach and asparagus). The high level of vitamin K in leafy green vegetables can reduce the effectiveness of warfarin.

5. Tyramine

Foods with the compound tyramine can raise your blood pressure and bring on an A-fib attack. Tyramine can be found in foods like aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented cabbage and fava beans.

6. Grapefruit Juice

The powerful chemical called naringenin in grapefruit juice can reduce the effectiveness of Cordarone and Tikosyn (popular antiarrhythmic drugs).

7. Multivitamins

Multivitamins can also interfere with how warfarin works, so you'd better adjust the dosage of warfarin if taken.

8. Low Potassium

Potassium is an important nutrient for cardiac health, and low potassium levels may increase the risk of arrhythmia. Abundant potassium can be found in foods like bananas, prunes, and rooted vegetables.

9. High Fat Foods

Obesity and high blood pressure can trigger an A-fib episode. People with A-fib should avoid eating high-fat foods like butter, cheese, margarine, meats, and dairy.

10. Refined Grains

Studies found that people with A-fib should eat fiber-rich foods to prevent stroke. Refined grains like white bread and regular pasta have very little fiber, protein, and other nutrients.