Making healthy lifestyle changes is an important part of disease management for people living with atrial fibrillation (AFib). A heart-healthy diet may help you feel your best with AFib and prevent or manage other heart problems, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. AFib is a type of heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) that can increase your risk of stroke, clots, and heart failure.

Here are some tips on which foods to eat and which ones to avoid while living with AFib. Ask your cardiologist or dietitian for advice before making diet changes. They can make recommendations based on the type of AFib you live with, your treatment plan, and your dietary preferences.

Foods To Eat

Some foods are better for your heart and overall health than others. If you can, choose these foods to maximize your health.

1. Eat More Fruits and Veggies

This is probably not the first time you’ve been told to eat your fruits and veggies, but the adage is especially true for those living with AFib and other forms of heart disease. Many fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C and vitamin A, which may reduce the buildup of arterial plaque. They often also include magnesium, which is associated with lower heart disease and stroke risk.

It’s important to note that some vitamins, like vitamin K, may not be as effective at helping your heart as doctors once hoped. Researchers need to do more work to understand how nutrients affect heart health. Some people taking certain heart medications, like blood thinners to help avoid blood clots, should talk to their doctor before they try to eat more vitamin K because it can decrease the medications’ effect.

Fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries are a great addition to a healthy AFib diet. Fresh fruits have less sugar and more nutrients than most canned or dried fruits and fruit juices. If fresh fruits are out of season, too difficult to prepare, or too expensive, choose frozen fruits. According to the American Heart Association, you should aim to eat 2 cups of fruit per day.

Further, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2.5 cups of vegetables per day. If you’re taking blood-thinning medications like warfarin, you’ll need to be wary of the type of vegetables you eat and do so under the guidance of your healthcare provider. Dark, leafy green vegetables, like kale or spinach, contain vitamin K, which may interfere with the way the medication works.

Similar to fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables are a safer bet than canned or processed veggies to avoid added salt and sugars.

Eating more vegetables doesn’t require that you become a gourmet cook or that you cook all the time. “Tuesday, I made low-salt vegetable soup and ate leftovers for days,” one member shared.

2. Enjoy Lean Protein

Between 10 percent and 35 percent of your daily calories should come from protein. To reduce your saturated fat intake, opt for lean meats instead of fatty varieties, and consume smaller meat portions. One way to do this is to consume fish rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, and mackerel.

One member shared their fish dinner plans: “I will probably have baked fish and boiled shrimp for dinner with a fresh vegetable salad.”

Some people choose to forego meat altogether and instead get protein from legumes, like beans and lentils. For protein-filled, plant-based snacks, try heart-healthy nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts.

When you’re looking for dairy options, choose low-salt, low-fat options like yogurt. The American Heart Association recommends three daily servings of low-fat, low-sodium dairy products per day. This can include low-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese.

Portion control can make all the difference in maintaining a heart-healthy diet. Remember that a 6-ounce steak has half the fat of a 12-ounce steak — so reduce the amount of meat on your dinner plate and replace it with vegetables and whole grains. With balance, you can still enjoy your favorite foods in moderation.

Portion control can make all the difference in maintaining a heart-healthy diet.

Foods To Avoid

Some foods can be harmful to your heart health. Here’s what to know about foods to avoid if you live with AFib.

1. Limit Salt

Salt (or sodium) is in almost everything we eat, including healthy foods. Many packaged, processed, and restaurant-prepared meals have unexpectedly high levels of sodium. This can be problematic for people with AFib and other heart conditions. Too much sodium can raise blood pressure, worsen heart health, and increase the risk of stroke. Taking steps to lower stroke risk is particularly important for people with AFib, as their chances of having a stroke are five times greater than those of the general population.

Minimizing processed or canned foods can help you avoid high-sodium products. Salt is often used to help preserve food. If fresh foods are out of your budget or take too much time to prepare, try frozen rather than canned ingredients. If canned and packaged foods are your only accessible options, look for sodium-free or reduced-sodium varieties.

Checking your food labels is always a good idea. You may be shocked to see how much sodium is in food that doesn’t taste salty, including dips, dressings, and processed meats. “Since my doctor limited my intake to 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, I’ve learned to read labels and look up salt content of foods online,” noted one member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam.

You may be shocked to see how much sodium is in food that doesn’t taste salty, including dips, dressings, and processed meats.

Keeping track of your sodium intake at home can be difficult, let alone when your food is prepared by someone else. If you order a meal from a restaurant, request that it’s cooked without added salt, sauces, or dressings so you can gain control over your sodium intake.

2. Reduce Saturated Fats

If you’re living with AFib, it’s important to reduce your consumption of saturated and trans fats. This includes animal products like red meat and dairy, as well as foods with coconut milk or certain oils. Replacing saturated fat with healthier options can improve your cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats comprise less than 6 percent of your daily caloric intake — about 13 grams if you consume 2,000 calories per day.

Some dairy products are also full of saturated fats. If dairy is part of your diet, try to minimize how much high-fat, high-salt cheese you consume, such as cheddar. You might also opt for fat-free or low-fat versions of your favorite milk and yogurt.

Finally, you can reduce how much oil and butter you consume by boiling, steaming, microwaving, or air frying your meals. When you do use oil, make sure to seek out healthy fats, like the unsaturated fats found in olive oil.

3. Minimize Added Sugars and Refined Carbohydrates

Too many refined carbohydrates and added sugars are not recommended for AFib. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit daily added sugars to 6 teaspoons and men limit them to 9 teaspoons.

Added sugars are most associated with baked goods, as well as beverages like sodas and fruit juices. Refined carbohydrates or simple carbohydrates have been processed and aren’t as nutritious as their whole versions. One MyHeartDiseaseTeam member said, “I’ve gotten rid of enriched or bleached white bread, white pasta, sugary cereals, instant rice, bagels, pizza, pastries, pies, cookies, and cakes.”

You can tell if a product has added sugars by reading the nutrition label, which itemizes both natural and added sugars.

“I’ve gotten rid of enriched or bleached white bread, white pasta, sugary cereals, instant rice, bagels, pizza, pastries, pies, cookies, and cakes.”
— A MyHeartDiseaseTeam member

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap in many fad diets, but you don’t have to cut out all carbohydrates to eat a heart-healthy diet. Rather than avoiding carbs, focus on eating complex carbohydrates like whole grains instead of refined grains like white flour. Whole-grain options include:

• Brown rice
• Whole wheat or multigrain bread
• Steel-cut or old-fashioned oats
• Barley
• Quinoa

The American Heart Association suggests eating three to six servings of grains each day, at least half of which should come from whole grains.

Reducing refined carbohydrates can help people with AFib avoid high triglyceride levels — a measure of heart wellness. Triglycerides are a type of fat, and high levels can contribute to stroke and heart attack.

What To Remember

Simple changes, such as reducing portion sizes, swapping refined grains for whole grains, minimizing alcohol intake, and seeking out low-fat protein options, can help you prioritize your heart health. Avoiding caffeine was once thought to help AFib, but recent studies show that a moderate intake may actually help your heart. If you want to add exercise to your routine for cardiovascular health, your doctor can help you do that safely, too.

Join the Conversation

On MyHeartDiseaseTeam, people share their experiences with heart disease, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What foods do you try to eat, and which ones do you avoid to help with AFib? Let others know in the comments below.