Foods To Eat And Avoid With Mitral Valve Prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse is a condition in which mitral valve is too loose and too flabby. In this condition, the mitral valve does not close firmly. It may close with slight leakage of some blood with a faint sound, which is known as a heart murmur. Most of the cases of mitral valve prolapse occur due to genetic reasons. It usually does not have any symptom. But it may represent symptoms like chest pain, discomfort in the chest and many more. It has good prognosis and has a number of treatment options. This article focuses on the food to be added or avoided for patients with mitral valve prolapse.

The patients with mitral valve prolapse must have a balanced diet that provides nutrition to the body. It should be heart healthy food that relieves the symptoms of heart and also prevents its progress to complications like valve regurgitation, etc.

Food items that should be included in your diet if you have mitral valve prolapse (MVP)-

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables provide vitamins minerals and other essential nutrients that are considered good for the health of heart.

Low Fat Food. Low fat food that is devoid of saturated fat and Trans fat helps in improvement of mitral valve prolapse.

Whole Grains. Whole grains have low carbohydrates and high fibers which are heart.friendly food and help in reduction of symptoms of mitral valve prolapse.

Proteins. Lean meats, fish and nuts like walnuts, almonds, etc. help in the maintenance of blood cholesterol levels thereby improving mitral valve prolapse.

Food High In Magnesium. Magnesium is found to be effective in the reduction of mitral valve prolapse symptoms. Avocados, yogurt, figs, salmon, almonds and green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are rich in magnesium.

Foods High In Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 works in correlation with magnesium to relieve the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse. The rich sources of magnesium are tuna, sunflower seeds, chicken, dried prunes and vitamin B supplements.

Food items that should be avoided when you have mitral valve prolapse are-

Tea. Tea comprises four stimulants namely caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and L-theanine that have a synergistic effect on the heart. They disturb the balance in the autonomic nervous system that can accelerate the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) like dizziness, palpitations or chest pain.

Coffee. coffee has caffeine that negatively stimulates the autonomic nervous system leading to an unstable state in the body. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the control of body function such as blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Due to caffeine, this system gets unstable resulting in slowing down or speeding up of this body function. Drinking coffee will increase palpitation of the heart can cause panic attacks in patients of mitral valve prolapse leading to anxiety disorders.

Chocolate. chocolate contains cocoa and sugar which when consumed in mitral valve prolapse can cause sudden rise in blood sugar level. This triggers the release of insulin and sudden drop in sugar levels resulting in an irregular heartbeat.

Alcohol. alcohol is considered as main food item that worsens the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse. Consumption of Alcohol can lead to arrhythmias and dilation of heart valve making the valve leakier and may result in regurgitation and other serious heart illness.

Sweets/Soft Drinks/soda/Fruit Juice. these sugary items increase blood sugar instantly and lead to the release of insulin from pancreas resulting in an instant drop in blood sugar. This sudden drop in blood sugar may cause rapid heartbeats which are not good for mitral valve prolapse patients.

Cheese. cheese can cause skipped heartbeat that can deteriorate the condition.

Mitral valve prolapse can be managed efficiently with dietary changes. It is beneficial to eat fresh fruits, low carbohydrate, low-fat food and food rich in magnesium and vitamin B6 in mitral valve prolapse. One should avoid alcohol, chocolate, tea, coffee and others discussed above if one has mitral valve prolapse.

Also Read:

• What Is The Best Treatment For Mitral Valve Disease?
• Can You Exercise With Mitral Valve Prolapse?
• How Is A Mitral Valve Repair Done?
• Can Mitral Valve Prolapse Go Away?
• What Not To Eat When You Have Mitral Valve Disease?
• Alternative Treatment For Mitral Valve Disease
• Lifestyle Changes For Mitral Valve Disease