Spoiler – it’s bad news for snackers
A cardiologist has identified six widespread foods that have subtly integrated into the American diet, which we should refrain from consuming to safeguard our heart health.
Maintaining a healthy heart should be a priority for everyone, especially since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., as per the CDC—surpassing cancer, accidental injuries, and Alzheimer’s disease, taking a life every 33 seconds.
It’s well-known that our dietary habits and lifestyle choices, such as increasing vegetable intake and engaging in regular physical activity, significantly influence our overall health. However, many might not realize that certain lifestyle factors and food choices could be undermining these efforts.
Help your heart out by avoiding these six foods (Getty Images)
Stress, inadequate sleep, inactivity, and insufficient sunlight and social interaction can all contribute to heart issues.
Dr. Wen-Chih Wu, director of the Cardiovascular Wellness and Prevention Center at Brown University in Rhode Island, emphasizes that cardiologists collectively flag six foods to completely avoid.
Let’s dive into the details.
Fried foods
While delightful in taste, items like French fries and fried chicken aren’t heart-friendly.
Dr. Wu pointed out that fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats, both detrimental to heart health.
Additionally, fries are typically loaded with salt, posing another hazard to cardiovascular well-being, he noted.
Healthier alternatives can be prepared at home by baking potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil.
Bacon, sausages, and red meat
Although red meat provides essential protein and nutrients—especially crucial for those with iron deficiencies—overindulgence can lead to serious heart complications.
The doctor cautions that red meats like beef, veal, and lamb typically contain high cholesterol and saturated fats, with bacon and sausages being the worst offenders.
Bacon and sausages make the perfect breakfast companion, but aren’t good for our hearts (Getty Images)
He advised, “Before enjoying that juicy T-bone steak, remember that the animal fats in red meats can be particularly harmful to your heart and should be kept to a small fraction of your diet.”
“Bacon not only has high saturated fat,” he added, “but also significant sodium levels, both of which elevate heart disease risks.”
This also applies to processed meats like hot dogs, salami, ham, and pastrami.
To improve your diet, consider healthier options like chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, or black beans, and restrict hot dogs to occasional treats.
