Why Your Heart Races After Eating Lots of Pulled Pork

Pulled pork sandwiches are a delicious barbecue staple. The tender, smokey pork is piled high on a bun and can be hard to resist going back for seconds and thirds. But have you ever noticed your heart racing after eating a lot of pulled pork? There’s a reason for that.

In this article we’ll explore why your heart may race after eating large quantities of pulled pork and other fatty meats. We’ll also provide some tips on how to indulge in pulled pork while supporting your heart health.

What Causes Heart Palpitations After Eating?

First, let’s look at why your heart might speed up after eating in general. The medical term for a racing heart is palpitations. Heart palpitations after eating are often harmless.

When you eat a meal, your body directs more blood flow to your digestive system to help break down and absorb nutrients This causes a slight uptick in your heart rate of around 5 to 10 beats per minute to pump the additional blood (1)

You may be more prone to notice these small increases in heart rate if you are particularly sensitive to the sensations in your body. However, other factors can also come into play and cause more noticeable palpitations.

Key Factors That Drive Heart Palpitations

Here are some of the main factors that can lead to an accelerated heartbeat and heart fluttering after eating (1, 2):

• The size of the meal – Eating a large quantity of food requires more energy and blood flow for digestion, which raises your heart rate further.

• Dehydration – Being even mildly dehydrated hampers your heart’s functioning. Not drinking enough fluids with a heavy meal can exacerbate palpitations.

• Dietary triggers – Foods and drinks containing a lot of caffeine, sodium, sugar, spices, or alcohol are common palpitation triggers. We’ll explore why pulled pork fits into this.

• Medical conditions – Heart disorders like arrhythmia and thyroid or hormone issues can also cause palpitations.

In most cases, the rise in heart rate is temporary and subsides once digestion is complete. But if you experience other concerning symptoms like chest pain, tightness, lightheadedness or fainting, seek medical advice (1).

Why Pulled Pork in Particular May Raise Your Heart Rate

Now that we understand some of the general causes behind heart fluttering, let’s look at why pulled pork seems to be a common culprit. There are a few reasons for this:

1. High Fat Content

Pulled pork typically contains a lot of fat. The pork shoulder used is a fatty cut, and smoked barbecue cooking adds even more fat. The marinades and sauces used are also often high in oil, sugar, and salt.

High-fat foods require more energy to break down. This leads to greater blood flow demand on the heart after eating dishes like pulled pork, especially in large quantities (3).

2. Meat Protein

Protein causes a rise in the hormones glucagon and cholecystokinin after a meal. These hormones regulate digestion but also increase heart rate (4).

Since pulled pork is pure meat protein without the carbs or veggies, it can spike these hormones more than a balanced meal.

3. High Sodium Content

Barbecue sauces, rubs, and marinades used to flavor pulled pork are often packed with sodium. The tenderizing brine the pork is cooked in also adds a lot of salt.

Consuming excess sodium leads to fluid retention. This forces the heart to work harder to pump blood, causing an increase in heart rate and palpitations (5).

4. Nitrates/Nitrites

Sodium nitrite is commonly used to cure and preserve pork products like ham and hot dogs. Some of this curing salt may make it into pulled pork recipes.

Nitrates/nitrites have been linked with palpitations and rapid heart rate in some people, though more research is still needed (6).

5. MSG

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a flavor enhancer sometimes used in barbecue sauces and rubs.

In sensitive individuals, MSG can cause “Chinese restaurant syndrome” – a collection of temporary symptoms including palpitations and chest pain after eating (7).

Moderation is key, even with delicious barbecue!

7 Tips to Enjoy Pulled Pork Without Heart Flutters

Here are some tips to satisfy your pulled pork cravings while keeping your heart happy:

• Limit portion sizes – Stick to a modest 3-4 oz serving of pork rather than piling half a pound on your plate.

• Skip the bun – Have your pork on a lettuce wrap or veggie sides instead of a large white bread bun to cut carbs.

• Load up on veggies – Add a side salad, coleslaw, roasted veggies or a fiber-rich baked bean recipe to balance the meat.

• Opt for leaner cuts – Choose pork tenderloin or pork chops rather than fatty shoulder meat. Or remove excess visible fat from pulled pork.

• Reduce sodium – Request low-sodium barbecue sauce or rub. Avoid adding extra table salt.

• Stay hydrated – Drink water throughout your meal to counter fluid retention from sodium.

• Avoid triggers – Limit high caffeine drinks or alcohol that could exacerbate palpitations.

Following a heart-healthy diet overall, staying active, limiting stress, and maintaining a healthy weight also helps keep your heart rate in check. But with some mindful tweaks, you can still work pulled pork into your routine.

Of course, always check with your doctor with concerns about recurring heart palpitations. They can do further testing and may adjust any medications if needed.

When To See a Doctor About Palpitations

While the odd fluttering sensation in your chest after a heavy meal is usually not serious, it’s wise to get checked out if you experience:

• Frequent or prolonged palpitations
• Palpitations that occur at rest, unrelated to eating
• Lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Family history of heart disease

This could indicate an underlying heart condition requiring treatment, like:

• Heart arrhythmia – abnormal heart rhythms
• Atrial fibrillation – irregular rapid heartbeat
• Heart valve disorders
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart failure
• Cardiomyopathy – disease of the heart muscle

Diagnostic tests like ECGs, Holter monitoring, blood tests, stress tests, and echocardiograms can help identify any issues. Treatment may include medications, surgery, or lifestyle changes.

The Bottom Line

Mild heart fluttering or faster heartbeat after eating pulled pork or other heavy, fatty meals is usually short-lived and not a major cause for alarm. But if palpitations become prolonged or concerning, see your doctor.

Limiting trigger foods, staying hydrated, and eating balanced meals can help keep your heart rate in a happy place. While you may need to dial back high-fat, sodium-loaded barbecue at times, you can still work pulled pork sandwiches into your diet in moderation.

References

1. https://www.healthtoday.com/be-healthy/heart-health/why-does-heart-race-after-eating
2. https://www.cardahealth.com/post/foods-to-avoid-if-you-have-heart-palpitations
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614039/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5479537/
5. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/shaking-the-salt-habit-to-lower-high-blood-pressure
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6959843/
7. https://www.healthline.com/health/chinese-restaurant-syndrome