Cardiac Surgeon Shares 4 Foods He Avoids for Heart Health in New Video

Doctor using a stethoscope checking patient with examining, presenting results symptom and recommend treatment method, Healthcare and medical concept. — Shutterstock

If you're looking to start watching what you eat, it might be worth taking some advice from the experts. A fitness expert can recommend the right foods for a flat stomach, while a nutritionist can guide you against the "gross" foods she steers clear of. But what if heart health is on your mind? In that case, you might you want to take the recent advice of cardiac surgeon Jeremy London, MD. On June 10, London posted a video to his TikTok account @drjeremylondon to share four foods he "absolutely avoids" as a cardiac surgeon. Read on to find out what he recommends against.

1 Fast food

Hand Man in car receiving coffee in drive thru fast food restaurant. Staff serving takeaway order for driver in delivery window. Drive through and takeaway for buy fast food for protect covid19. — Shutterstock

This one is probably an obvious one, but it bears repeating. Health experts have long spoken out about their concerns with fast food, and London is no exception. In fact, he calls out fast food as the number one food group he avoids.

"The name says it all, right? Most of what's available in fast food chains is 'edible food product,' it's not even real food," the cardiac surgeon says.

2 Soft drinks

two glasses of soda on a table — champpixs / iStock

Sorry, soda lovers, but soft drinks are also something this heart surgeon avoids. Unfortunately, it doesn't make a difference if you're opting for a low-calorie or no-sugar option: When it comes to heart health, London says it's important to avoid both regular and diet soft drinks.

"Liquid death—don't drink 'em," he tells viewers.

3 Milk products

Woman shopping milk in grocery store — iStock

Don't go switching out your Diet Coke for a glass of cold milk—London also advises against milk products.

"We are the only mammals that drink milk outside of infancy, and we drink it from a different species," he says. "Think about it."

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults in the U.S. only use milk products that are low-fat or fat-free, because they contain less saturated fats than whole milk options.

"Saturated fats tend to raise the level of LDL-C cholesterol in the blood," the AHA explains. "High LDL-C cholesterol is one of the six major risk factors for heart disease that can be changed, treated or modified. It can also lead to developing other heart and blood vessel diseases."

4 Alcohol

different alcoholic beverages — New Africa / Shutterstock

The last thing London says he avoids is alcohol—and yes, that includes both binge-drinking hard liquor and having a couple glasses of wine with dinner.

"Alcohol is absolutely toxic to every cell in our bodies. Even moderate or occasional use is, in fact, detrimental," London cautions. "So if we are working so hard to optimize our health, the least you could do is stop actively poisoning your body."

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Kali Coleman Kali Coleman is a Senior Editor at Best Life. Her primary focus is covering news, where she often keeps readers informed on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and up-to-date on the latest retail closures.Read moreFiled UnderFood • Health Advice • Healthy Eating • NewsSources referenced in this article