2 weeks Ago By Ethan Blackshaw
There are some popular foods and drinks you should avoid or cut down on if you want to maintain a healthy heart . Dr Lott, a New York City-based acupuncturist with more than 300,000 followers on TikTok , has listed 12 things that threaten our cardiovascular health, in a video captioned: " Foods that can damage your heart." First up was "canned vegetables", which can have high levels of added salt and sugar.
Fresh fruit and veg is always the best way to go. Dr Lott also mentioned "canned soup" due to its sodium content, which can escalate the risk of heart disease , hypertension, and stroke. Dr Lott cast a critical eye on "white rice", which is a refined grain.
Our bodies convert refined grains into sugar, which is then stored as fat. He also mentioned "syrup" and "cake icing", both of which obviously contain lots of sugar. Sadly for many of us, "beer" also made the list and can impact heart health in a number of ways.
Alcohol is directly linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, and drinking too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle itself. Excessive beer consumption also leads to high blood pressure, and packs on the pounds due to its high calorie content. The NHS advises that both men and women should limit their alcohol intake to no more than 14 units a week, spread across at least three days.
Dr Lott went on to highlight "processed meat", often laden with salt and saturated fats, alongside "white bread", which, being a refined carbohydrate, is harmful to your heart in the same way as white rice. "Energy drinks" also made it onto Dr Lott's list - their caffeine content can cause an uptick in heart rate and blood pressure. Even seemingly harmless "condiments" like ketchup are risky because of their high sugar and salt content.
Salt, specifically called out by Dr Lott, is bad for your heart as it raises blood pressure. Lastly, Dr Lott warned against "pastries", which are typically high in calories and fat due to their butter and sugar content..
