You have probably seen heart rate variability pop up on your smartwatch or fitness tracker. Most people glance at the number and move on.
But what you put on your plate may quietly nudge it one way or the other.
A new study of 7,256 adults found that two well-known diets stood out. People who closely followed the DASH diet or the Dutch Healthy Diet had higher very-low-frequency heart rate variability power.
The cross-sectional analysis, published in November 2026 in Scientific Reports, drew on the long-running Maastricht Study in the southern Netherlands. Participants had a mean age of 59.
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Heart rate variability is the tiny difference in time between one heartbeat and the next.
Higher variability generally reflects a more flexible, well-regulated cardiovascular system. Lower values have been tied to a higher risk of heart disease and death.
The adherent groups also had lower blood pressure, lower body mass index, lower triglycerides, and reported more physical activity.
The effect on very-low-frequency power was clearest among people not taking beta blockers, drugs that themselves slow and smooth the heart's rhythm.
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What the two diets have in common
The DASH diet was developed with support from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to help lower blood pressure. It leans on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts.
It also calls for cutting back on sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar. In trials, the pattern has been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.
The Dutch Healthy Diet is built on the Netherlands' national dietary guidelines. It asks for at least 200 grams of vegetables a day, regular whole grains, legumes, nuts, and weekly fish.
Red and processed meat, sugary drinks, salt, and added sugars are limited. The overlap with DASH is striking. Both patterns lean on plants and lean protein while trimming salt and heavily processed foods.
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What the researchers cannot say yet
The analysis is cross-sectional. It took a single snapshot of diet and heart rhythm at one moment, so it cannot prove that eating this way caused the better readings.
People who follow either pattern often differ in other ways too, from activity to sleep.
The researchers note that randomized trials are still needed to confirm whether these diets actively improve heart rate variability.
Partial adherence was enough to show up in the numbers, meaning small shifts toward either pattern may count. For anyone on heart medication or with a known heart condition, dietary changes are worth raising with a doctor first.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.