Association between Micronutrients and Heart Rate Variability: A Review of Human Studies

Abstract

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the variation between consecutive heartbeats. It provides a marker of the interplay between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, and there is an increasing body of evidence confirming an increased HRV is associated with better mental and physical health. HRV may be a useful marker of stress as it represents the ability of the heart to respond to a variety of physiological and environmental stimuli. HRV tends to decrease as we age and is positively associated with physical activity, fitness, and healthier lifestyles. The relation between HRV and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) has also received some attention in the research literature. In this review, cross-sectional and interventional studies on human populations examining the relation between HRV and micronutrients are appraised. Micronutrients identified and examined in this review include vitamins D, B-12, C, and E; the minerals magnesium, iron, zinc, and coenzyme Q10; and a multivitamin-mineral formula. Due to the paucity of research and significant heterogeneity in studies, definitive conclusions about the effects of these micronutrients on HRV cannot be made at this time. However, there is accumulating evidence suggesting deficiencies in vitamins D and B-12 are associated with reduced HRV, and zinc supplementation during pregnancy can have positive effects on HRV in offspring up until the age of 5 y. To further elucidate the relation between micronutrients and HRV, additional robustly designed and adequately powered studies are required.

Stress and autonomic nerve dysfunction monitoring in perioperative gastric cancer patients using a smart device

“…SDANN and triangular index showed similar circadian rhythms and peaked at 6–10. Studies have shown a high positive correlation between SDNN and SDANN (Lopresti, 2020 ), but our study solidly proved that the circadian rhythms of SDNN and SDANN were not consistent and they peaked at different time period, rising a problem that probably deserves more attention in further study. These results strongly demonstrated that HRV had a circadian rhythm.…”

“…In addition, the time‐domain parameter pNN50 showed that the patients had significantly higher vagus nerve activity at 0–4, indicating that the parasympathetic nerve was more active at deep sleep state. SDNN reflects total heart rate variability, and the higher SDNN indicates better health and physiological resilience, which are negatively correlated with cardiac risk (Lopresti, 2020 ; Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017 ). Our study showed that SDNN peaked at 0–4, suggesting that sleep and rest might be important for maintaining physical health.…”

“…Meanwhile, it was clear that the HRV at POD1 and POD2 is significantly reduced, presented as significant reduction of SDNN and SDANN, indicating patients suffering of a significant postoperative stress at POD1 and POD2, and implicating suppression of autonomic nervous system activity (Garg et al, 2020 ; Hattori & Asamoto, 2020 ; Tracy et al, 2016 ). Moreover, the reduction of LF/HF, which was used to evaluate the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (Lopresti, 2020 ), further suggesting that the sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance occurred during the perioperative period. HF is a well‐known HRV parameter that can reflect the parasympathetic and vagal activity (Lopresti, 2020 ).…”

Obesity, Nutrition and Heart Rate Variability

“…A review by Lopresti in 2020 investigated cross-sectional and interventional studies about the relation between HRV and vitamin B-12, C, D, and E and the minerals magnesium, iron, zinc, and coenzyme Q10 as well as a combination in the form of a multivitamin-mineral formula. Although this study does not allow a clear inference about the effects of these micronutrients on HRV due to the sparse number, the heterogeneity, and the relatively low power of available scientific studies on these correlations, it can be strongly assumed that deficiencies in vitamin D and B-12 are associated with impaired HRV, and zinc intake, especially during pregnancy, can have positive implications on HRV in infants until the age of five years [ 60 ].…”

Effects of Bergamot Polyphenols on Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

“…To date, there have been many studies showing that proper nutrition could be an important factor in the prevention of HF [ 28 ]. Food is the primary source of energy, essential to support a proper myocardial contractility [ 6 ], and macro- and micronutrients must be perfectly balanced in the diet [ 29 , 30 ]. Current scientific knowledge shows that a high-fat diet is associated with heart failure and arrhythmias [ 31 , 32 ].…”