Low-sugar fruit juice can help ease abnormal heart rhythm
Q: I have COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and an abnormal heart rhythm (A-fib). I quit coffee because I read it could trigger A-fib. Instead, I start my day with hot water and lemon juice. I am trying to increase my exercise bit by bit. Also, I am hoping the lemon water will lower my blood pressure. After two months on lemon water, it’s been around 125/70. I also have incorporated beets into my diet. They are high in nitrate so I trust they will also help me control my blood pressure. Is there any advice you can give me?
A: We applaud your determination to control your abnormal heart rhythm and your blood pressure. Your doctor needs to check your progress and prevent blood clot formation that might cause a stroke.
Researchers admit that the relationship between coffee and atrial fibrillation is confusing. Some studies suggest that coffee consumption increases the risk for arrhythmias, while others indicate that it is protective (Nutrients, August 2023).
Low-sugar fruit juices such as lemon juice appear to have a beneficial impact on the heart and can improve exercise performance (Nutrition Research Reviews, Sept. 1, 2023). A study in the European Respiratory Journal (Dec. 20, 2023) found that nitrate-rich beet juice lowers systolic blood pressure and improves blood vessel flexibility in patients with COPD.
Q: Twenty years ago, after an upper respiratory infection, I suddenly went from being a high-energy person to someone who could not get out of bed. I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow without experiencing PoTS. The fatigue is better, but my fast heart rate makes it hard to exert myself. The shortness of breath and sleep problems are annoying, but the neurological symptoms are the worst. Besides brain fog, I have neuropathy. When all this started, I read that neurological symptoms are often part of the profile for chronic fatigue syndrome. I have been wondering if that is what I have, but I haven’t been able to find out more. What can you tell me? A: When you developed an upper respiratory tract infection 20 years ago, most physicians did not recognize that such flu-like illnesses might lead to long-lasting complications. A recent study (Lancet Infectious Diseases, Dec. 14, 2023) reveals that both COVID-19 and the flu can cause neurological symptoms as well as fatigue. The authors of this study are calling the condition “long flu.”
You mention PoTS — postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This condition, which is common in both long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, seems to be a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate increases rapidly when a person stands up, and they often feel dizzy. There is not yet a cure for long COVID-19, long flu or CFS.
Q: I have been making a hot pepper and garlic condiment for my family and friends for years. It has at least five different types of hot peppers in it, plus apple cider vinegar, mustard, chopped garlic, olive oil and sea salt. It is delicious on everything, and I have noticed that it also seems to pump up our immune systems and ward off colds.
A: You may be on to something! For one thing, the essence of hot peppers, capsaicin, has antimicrobial activity (Nutrients, Sept. 22, 2023). That means hot chili peppers may be able to stimulate an immune response.
Onion, garlic and turmeric have been shown to enhance immunity (Food Science & Nutrition, Aug. 18, 2023). Your special sauce seems to combine many beneficial ingredients.
There is even research suggesting that chili lovers live longer. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Dec. 24, 2019) found that “regular consumption of chili pepper is associated with lower risk of total and
CVD (cardiovascular disease) mortality, with larger magnitude observed for IHD (ischemic heart disease) and cerebrovascular-related deaths.”