Food Reactions and Heart Rate - Anyone heard of this?

mle_ii · Post by **mle_ii** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:13 pm

I'm curious if anyone has heard of this. I was reading in a book about Liver/GI issues, and the author mentions a way of testing food sensitivities using your heart rate.

It went something like the following:
Sit down and relax at the table.
Take your resting heart rate.
Eat the potential food source for sensitivities.
Let some time pass (10 minutes??? need to read it again)
Make sure you are still sitting and relaxed.
Take your heart rate again.

If your heart rate goes up by more than 10 beats per minute then the food is very likely a sensitive food for you.

Like I said I'll have to read the book again and you know me... do some research.

Mike

mle_ii · Post by **mle_ii** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:32 pm

Huh, here's a site talking a bit about it, plus one test where you don't even have to swallow the food. I wonder if this would only find IgE type of symptoms and not the IgG that we tend to see with our issues.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mecfs/general/allergy.html

mle_ii · Post by **mle_ii** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:56 pm

I do see some mention of IgE type reactions causing elevation in HR, but I'm not convinced of its usage for say our reaction to gluten. Would be interesting to try though I'm not sure I'll try with gluten.

The other problem is that if you think that you might react then it might cause the HR to go up anyway. So only if you weren't able to see, smell or taste the food then it might work. But only it appears IgE reactions.

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:11 pm

Hi Mike,

Well I would be a poor judge of that one. When I wake up in the morning it is not unusual for my heart rate to be 110 to 120. Taking the beta blockers is helping this somewhat but my jumps all around the board so I could never judge.

Love, Maggie

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:25 pm

That is really interesting because heart rate is one of my anxiety symptoms that I think can be triggered by eating the wrong food. Even if my heart rate isn't too elevated, I can feel my heart beating. Like last night after dinner, I felt not necessarily the individual beats, but more than no sensation of a beating heart (which unless taking my pulse, I don't feel when I feel good). I'll have to keep an eye on this. Last night I reasured myself saying it was related to the cold I'm coming down with.

Katy

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:41 pm

Same here Mike-----when I go into anxiety--heart-rate goes boom boom

Or when I am Xercizing---naturally~~~

Interesting what U brought up too--

Barbara

Post by **tex** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:14 pm

Mike,

I suspect that's more applicable to food allergies, rather than food intolerances. The reason I think that's true, is because histamine causes an increase in heart rate, and histamine production is a result of an allergic reaction.

I haven't checked this in many years, but a couple of decades ago, I discovered that I could ingest yellow dye #5, and my heart rate would promptly increase by a noticeable amount. IOW, I would suddenly become aware of my heartbeat, and when I checked the rate, it would be up by roughly 25 to 30%. That's when I started avoiding yellow #5.

Tex

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:13 am

Don't some intolerances also result in histamine release? Like I know one of my symptoms of gluten ingestion is a slightly sniffly nose.

Katy

Post by **tex** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:13 pm

Katy,

While there is probably some degree of histamine production involved with food intolerance reactions, I personally don't believe that the level is high enough to cause significant histamine reactions. IOW, I think that if you are showing classic allergy symptoms after the ingestion of wheat, (such as watery eyes, runny nose, hives, or even anaphylaxis), then you are actually allergic to wheat, (or gluten). Consider this quote:

ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO FOOD ARE USUALLY OBVIOUS

During an allergic reaction to food, irritant chemicals (like histamine) are released into the tissues. This can result in itchy rashes, stomach upset, cough and wheeze and the more serious symptoms of anaphylaxis. These reactions are due to an immune system reaction to foods. When people complain of symptoms like headaches, bloating or mouth ulcers after eating, they are not describing allergy, but rather intolerance. As these symptoms are not due to allergy, allergy testing is of little use and can sometimes be misleading.

From this site:

http://www.medeserv.com.au/ascia/aer/in ... erence.htm

It's also possible for gut bacteria to produce histamines, under certain conditions, and I suppose that it's at least theoretically possible that if the gut is populated with the wrong species, then increased histamine production might be possible.

Tex