Food

‘I’m a Cardiologist, and Here’s How Alcohol Impacts Your Heart Rate’

Discover what a cardiologist has to say about the often-asked question: Does alcohol increase heart rate? Spoiler: It can. Here's what to do.

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Photo: Stocksy/Vladimir Tsarkov
Updated Aug 18, 2023

Written by 

Elsie Yang

A top-notch smartwatch is well-suited to track a range of activity levels and vitals, displaying data on everything from your step count and sleep stats to your heart rate. For folks who frequently reference this data for a better baseline understanding of their overall bodily function and health profile, certain deviations from their normal resting heart rate undoubtedly stand out. And one of those—an elevated heart rate—is connected not only to an intense workout, but also to drinking alcohol.

Experts in This Article

Daina Trout

nutritionist and co-founder of Health-Ade

Lauren Manaker

registered dietitian and prenatal and postnatal health expert

Suzanne Steinbaum

attending cardiologist and the director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City

How does alcohol increase heart rate?

A 2020 meta-analysis conducted by four researchers using the Cochrane Hypertension Information Specialist found that the consumption of a single drink (defined as a 12-ounce beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, or an ounce-and-a-half of liquor) resulted in, on average, a five-beat-per-minute elevation in heart rate over the course of the next six hours. Consuming two or more drinks was linked to an even more pronounced heart rate increase and was sustained over a 24-hour period.

Why does my heart rate increase when I drink alcohol?

“Moderate to heavy drinking over an extended period of time may increase the risk of a dangerous type of irregular heartbeat in adults over 40 years of age,” says cardiologist Suzanne Steinbaum, MD, DO, medical expert for American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement. “Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, occurs when the heart’s upper chambers beat irregularly and can increase stroke risk fivefold if left untreated. The condition is estimated to affect 12.1 million people in the United States by 2030. Studies have linked higher alcohol consumption to an increased risk of AFib. Common symptoms can include heart palpitations, fatigue, or even chest pain after drinking alcohol.

Why is my heart rate weird after drinking?

A significant part of the problem, Dr. Steinbaum says, is that many people do not consume enough water when drinking alcohol. “If your heart rate increases after drinking, it is most likely due to dehydration,” she explains. “To help counteract this, make sure that you are staying properly hydrated when consuming alcohol.” If you’ve been hydrating and you’re still feeling like your heart is pounding harder than usual, or if you feel your heart racing at night or affecting your sleep after drinking, Dr. Steinbaum offers some tips on how to slow your heart rate after drinking alcohol. First and foremost, she recommends slowing your heart rate by relaxing. “You can try practicing simple relaxation techniques, like deep breathing or going outdoors for some fresh air. Also, make sure to avoid overexerting yourself while drinking,” she adds.

Does alcohol make your resting heart rate higher?

So, does alcohol increase blood pressure, too? It definitely can. Beyond your heart rate, excess consumption of alcohol can also have adverse effects on your blood pressure. “If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor may advise you to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink,” Dr. Steinbaum says. “Reducing the amount of alcohol you consume can also help to prevent high blood pressure. If you do drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women.”

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How can drinking alcohol affect the gut?

Alcohol can also have negative effects on your gastrointestinal system and gut health, changing your microbiome makeup1 and inhibiting the normal production of digestive enzymes and juices. “Too much alcohol wreaks havoc on the gut,” explains Health-Ade co-founder Daina Trout, MS, who has a background in nutritional biochemistry. “It causes inflammation both inside and outside your digestive tract, increases your risk of infection and indigestion, and it even messes with your sleep.”

Not to mention, drinking alcohol can also cause diarrhea. In short, alcohol can act as a diuretic, which explains why you may need to pee frequently while tossing back some drinks. Additionally, booze contains ethanol which can increase gut movement, ultimately speeding up digestion without giving your gut a chance to absorb water, increasing the chances of experiencing diarrhea.

Does this all apply to all types of booze?

But wait. Is red wine good for your heart? While some studies have suggested that drinking red wine in limited quantities can help to increase the levels of antioxidants in your body, Dr. Steinbaum is quick to point out that the American Heart Association does not recommend drinking wine or any other form of alcohol to gain potential health benefits. Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT, a registered dietitian based in Charleston, also points out that although red wine has some compounds linked to positive health benefits, it’s still alcohol at the end of the day. “Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is the same classification as tobacco,” Manaker says. That said, the grouping encompasses all types of alcohol. As such, red wine is grouped together with other liquors, such as vodka. 

So, how much alcohol is too much? Of course, it’s worth noting that the deleterious effects of alcohol are not a result of the occasional beverage. Negative side effects happen generally when, Dr. Steinbaum says, folks drink “more than a few times a week and/or have more than two drinks at a time.” (That being said, even a single drink can speed up your heart rate.) Meanwhile, Manaker points out that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that men consume no more than two alcoholic drinks a day and women no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.

Overall, experts like Trout and Dr. Steinbaum agree that in order to achieve optimal heart health, alcohol should be consumed in moderation. “Take steps to lower cholesterol, control high blood pressure, get enough physical activity, stay away from tobacco and excessive amounts of booze, and follow a healthy diet. Making lifestyle choices that decrease these risk factors is the best way to keep your cardiovascular system in optimal shape,” says Dr. Steinbaum. From a dietitian’s perspective, Manaker encourages folks to avoid any consumption of alcohol if they are focused on supporting their health, as it isn’t conducive to promoting healthy aging.

What can you drink to help lower your heart rate?

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to lower your heart rate that can be done in both the near and long term. On the other hand, there are other (non-booze) drinks that lower heart rates that can help. “Some juices that may help lower blood pressure, including beetroot juice and pomegranate juice,” Manaker says. For context, beets are a great source of folate, a key vitamin essential for blood health recommended by cardiologists. (A 100-gram serving of beet juice contains 26 micrograms of folate. The Recommended Dietary Allowance of folate is 400 grams for most folks.) Meanwhile, pomegranate is packed with potassium (214 milligrams of potassium per 100-gram serving), an important nutrient for heart health connected to lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke and keeping sodium levels balanced.

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That said, keeping your heart rate levels normal ultimately boils down to maintaining adequate levels of hydration. “General dehydration can result in your heart rate increasing. Because of this, taking steps to maintain hydration may help. So while this may not sound too exciting, plain old water may be one of the best solutions for those who want to support a healthy heart rate.” Although adding a few hydrating foods to your daily routine can always help.

Discover what a registered dietitian thinks about the highly-popular spiked seltzers on the market:

  1. Engen, Phillip A et al. “The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota.” Alcohol research : current reviews vol. 37,2 (2015): 223-36.

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FoodNutrition

Why Are People Suddenly Eating Handfuls of Spinach Straight From the Fridge?

TL;DR: You don’t have to eat raw spinach out of the container like a raccoon to get the nutritional benefits.

Girl in leggings and green shirt holding colander of washed spinach with hands visible, top view.
Photo: Getty
Published Feb 21, 2025

Written by 

Emily Ziemski

TikTok is full of microtrends, especially when it comes to food. Eating a whole cucumber, making protein Diet Coke; remember the baked feta pasta? The list is endless and frankly, can be a bit silly. The latest: Creators shoving a whole handful of spinach into their mouths, citing a “max nutritional benefit boost” by doing so. 

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Searching for videos about eating a handful of spinach yields hundreds of people looking vaguely uncomfortable while trying to chew and swallow, well, a whole handful of raw, unseasoned spinach. Of course, I have questions. Is this the cinnamon challenge but with vegetables? Do you hate joy? And, the most important, is this *actually* the best way to get nutritional benefits from spinach?

What is this trend, exactly?

Cropping up in feeds in early February, the TikTok videos hinge on two key factors: The spinach has to be raw, and you have to eat it first thing in the morning. One handful seems to do the trick for most, and it appears that nothing else is consumed alongside the spinach. Just a whole bunch of raw spinach. That’s it. That’s the tweet. 

Surely, it would be easier to incorporate it into the smoothie you’re already planning to have, or the omelet you just made, but here we are. 

Why are people doing this?

According to these videos, besides kicking off your day with multiple vitamins, iron, and potassium, some claim it can also “curb carb and sugar cravings” while others assert that doing this every morning helps “train your tastebuds for the day.”

For me, this feels like it’s veering into the 90s and early aughts culture of “no pain no gain,” a mindset that had us doing things like scrubbing our faces with apricot shells every night, and only eating cabbage soup for every meal. 

Not to say those things aren’t great in moderation (gentle exfoliation is wonderful for the skin, and cabbage is a great, nutritionally dense vegetable), but banking your health on one, singular thing isn’t a great road to success. “I think that spinach is obviously a very nutritious food, but it doesn’t contain the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that one needs daily,” says Christina Manian, RDN, a sustainable food systems professional. “In terms of claims that doing this first thing in the morning hacks your body’s cravings for the rest of the day, I’m not sure whether that’s true.”

So, what’s the actual science behind this trend?

Realistically, there’s just not a lot of science that backs up these claims of tastebud training and curbed hunger. Research done by the University of Buffalo on bitter foods showed that when feeding bitter foods (like leafy greens) to rats, a protein-based salivary compound that was activated when eating something bitter could be trained to increase over time. 

Basically, the press release stated that when that protein was activated, “the bitter tastes like water.” So, the rats could eat more of the bitter foods without minding the taste. It is important to note that studies done in mice and rats don’t translate well to human consequences, as our physiological differences, like hormonal makeup and immune systems, vary too much from these lab mice/rat studies to be able to draw any definite conclusions. In fact, human-based studies show that denying food cravings can actually lead to increased appetites, and even bingeing behaviors. 

However, it’s not all bad news. There is a lot of info that shows food sequencing—starting each meal by eating vegetables, then protein, then everything else—*does* indeed help with hunger cues, satiety, and better blood sugar control. “I often enjoy spinach in the morning (usually cooked with tofu or eggs and whole grain toast) but don’t feel called to eat it raw as the very first thing I put into my body,” says Manian. 

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Should you do this trend?

There’s truly no harm (except maybe a minor choking hazard?) in trying this trend. “Considering how most Americans aren't eating enough veggies, I'll count this as a win,” says Lauren Manaker, RDN, a women’s nutrition expert and consultant. “They are still getting fiber and plant compounds when they eat it by the handful.”

If you’re like me, and seeing a new internet trend makes you feel like the oldest, crankiest person on planet earth, take solace in knowing that dietitians believe adding spinach to any part of your daily meal plan is a total win. “Overall, eating raw spinach is an excellent practice, as is eating cooked spinach,” says Manian. “I think if [people] are doing this any time of the day, that’s fantastic, and if they feel inclined to eat spinach in the morning, then that's also wonderful.”

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Food

The Making of an Internet-Famous Fruit: How Sumo Citrus Has Captured Hearts, Tastebuds, and a Devoted Following

photo of growers transporting many sumo citrus for review
Photo: Sumo Citrus® & W+G Creative
Published Feb 20, 2025

In Partnership With 

Sumo Citrus

Written by 

Maeve McCormick

Confession time: I love citrus—zesty limes squeezed on my tacos, fresh-squeezed orange juice on slow Sunday mornings, and the invigorating scent of grapefruit candles when I need to unwind. But when it comes to eating whole citrus fruits? Historically, not my thing. The mess of peeling, the sticky fingers, the rogue juice dribbling down my wrists—for me, most citrus has never been worth the (literal) squeeze.

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Then, one day, my roommate came home from the store with an oversized citrus I didn’t recognize. She told me I had to try a piece, while effortlessly peeling it in one smooth motion—no mess, no struggle. I skeptically accepted a slice, wondering what the big deal was. 

To my surprise, the experience was completely sticky-fingers-free. And the taste? Unlike any citrus I’d had before—enormously sweet, impossibly juicy, and balanced with just a hint of tang. That was my first bite of Sumo Citrus®—and now, I understand why The Office actress Jenna Fischer planted a Sumo Citrus tree in her yard, John Mayer peeled it on TikTok, and it has its very own merch (kind of eyeing that beanie, TBH).

So, what’s earned Sumo Citrus this devoted following? Sumo is taking the sweetness on the road for you to experience it yourself with the Tastemonial Tour—and it’s making a special stop at House of Good during our Ultimate Citrus Experience pop-up from February 21 to 23. Stop by for the hype if you're in Los Angeles, and read on to find out how this one-of-a-kind fruit became a seasonal fruit fixation.

sumo citrus with purple sticker

Find Sumo Citrus Near You

Sumo Citrus wasn’t just plucked from a tree one day and marketed as the next big thing—it’s the result of decades of careful cultivation, according to Sunnia Gull, AC Food’s vice president of marketing. First developed in Japan in the 1970s, it was naturally bred to combine the best traits of different citrus varieties—including the sweetness of mandarins, the juiciness of navel oranges, and the easy-to-peel skin of a satsuma.

Despite its popularity, growing Sumo Citrus is no easy feat. It takes years of expertise to perfect, and California’s Central Valley is the only place in the United States where it’s grown. Even then, farmers face unpredictable weather challenges, which means every piece of fruit that makes it to the store is a result of careful tending and patience.

The first thing you notice about Sumo Citrus is its size—it’s the largest variety of mandarins. The second? Its signature Top Knot®, a bump on top of the fruit that serves as an easier way to peel it. The skin practically lifts off, revealing plump, seedless segments that don’t leave your hands coated in juice and stubborn pith. 

Every Sumo Citrus is guaranteed to be incredibly sweet, thanks to each being measured on the “brix meter,” to ensure it meets sky-high sweetness standards before hitting shelves, Gull says. For those who prefer their fruit without surprise sour bites, it’s a game-changer.

Beyond its chef’s-kiss flavor and finally-I-don’t-need-a-wet-wipe convenience, Sumo Citrus packs a *serious* nutritional punch. Each fruit contains 163 percent of your daily vitamin C, along with fiber, potassium, and a flavonoid called hesperidin, which has antioxidant benefits. Whether you’re looking for immunity support, a gut-friendly snack, or a natural energy source, it fits the bill. Bonus: It’s the kind of snack I can toss in my bag and eat in two minutes flat—way better than the sad granola bar that’s been in my purse for the past three months.

And while Sumo Citrus is made to eat straight out of the peel, fans have gotten creative with how they use it. The fruit’s sweetness and juiciness make it an ideal addition to everything from bright citrus salads to zesty cocktails and refreshing desserts. Its bold flavor also complements savory dishes—think citrus-glazed salmon or a tangy dressing for roasted vegetables.

All of that creativity may be a result of the fact that Sumo Citrus is here for a good time, but not a long time. Unlike standard grocery store oranges that are available year-round, Sumo Citrus has a limited growing season, running only from January to April. This short window has created an almost cult-like following, with fans stocking up as soon as they see the signature purple sticker in stores. 

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I get it—now that I’ve experienced Sumo, I fully understand the impulse to grab them while they last. The anticipation is almost part of the appeal: Like cherry blossom season or holiday peppermint mochas, Sumo’s fleeting availability makes it even more special. And when the season ends? People (me) are already counting down the days until its return. Conclusion: Do yourself a favor and grab a few before they disappear for the year. Because once you’ve had a taste of this juicy citrus, there’s no going back.

Psst: Want a taste ASAP? The Sumo Tastemonial Tour is rolling into Belmont Park in San Diego from February 28 to March 1, Boreal Ski Resort in Tahoe from March 7 to 8, Craig Ranch Regional Park in Las Vegas from March 10 to 11, and La Encantada in Tuscon from March 14 to 15—or stop by House of Good in Venice Beach for the Ultimate Citrus Experience from February 21 to 23.

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