Mixed
Heart-rate variability (HRV) serves as a valid biomarker for assessing the physiological and psychological health impacts of dietary interventions, with higher HRV indicating better autonomic regulation and resilience.
Use HRV as a key indicator of how your diet affects your overall health and stress resilience. Higher HRV is generally associated with better health outcomes, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and psychiatric disorders. While more research is needed on specific foods, maintaining a diet that supports high HRV (e.g., Mediterranean diet, omega-3s) is a valid strategy for improving long-term physiological and psychological well-being.
It is argued that the consistent relationship between HRV, health and morbidity supports the view that HRV has the potential to become a widely used biomarker when considering the influence of diet on mental and physical health.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing numerous meta-analyses and longitudinal studies, though it acknowledges the need for more systematic research on specific dietary components.
Source
Heart-rate variability: a biomarker to study the influence of nutrition on physiological and psychological health?
Hayley A. Young et al. · Behavioural Pharmacology · 2018
DOI 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000383
More from this paper
- Reduced HRV is a consistent predictor of various diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and psychiatric disorders, and is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance.Strong
- Specific dietary components, including omega-3 fatty acids, Mediterranean diet patterns, B-vitamins, probiotics, polyphenols, and weight loss, acutely and chronically improve HRV, while high saturated/trans fats and high glycemic carbohydrates reduce it.Good
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