Cardiologists list 4 foods to avoid to live a long life

Dr. Jeremy London, a cardiovascular surgery specialist with more than 25 years of clinical experience, recently published a list of 4 foods “proven to shorten life expectancy.” His shares on social networks and interviews are attracting great attention from the medical community as well as the public interested in health.

Specifically, the “black” list identified by doctor London includes:

• Sugary drinks
• Prepared meat
• Ale
• Excess saturated fat

Sugary drinks

Analyzing sugary drinks (including soft drinks and carbonated drinks) further, Dr. London calls these “empty calories” – the type of energy that never brings a feeling of fullness. He even used the extreme term “liquid death” to describe this group.

“Don’t drink them anymore. It’s over. That’s it,” he asserted fiercely. Further explanation on the program Todaydoctor London said that soft drinks are a “scourge” of modern society. Taking in a large amount of calories from sugar without the drinker knowing is the most serious mistake in eating.

Sharing the same opinion, doctor William Li shared on the podcast Zoe Science and Nutrition: “Clinical evidence shows that high consumption of soft drinks is linked to everything from metabolic disease to cardiovascular disease to cancer risk.”

Alcohol and processed meat

As for alcohol and processed meat, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified both as class one carcinogens. This means that there is enough convincing evidence to show that they cause cancer in humans (equivalent to the harmful level of cigarettes).

Cancer Research UK emphasized: “We firmly confirm that processed meat causes cancer. This relationship is as clear as the way we know about the harmful effects of tobacco or alcohol.”

According to the WHO definition, processed meat includes meats that have been processed by salting, fermentation, smoking or other processes to enhance flavor and preservation. This list includes:

• Hot dogs;
• Ham (Ham);
• Corned beef;
• Beef jerky;
• Canned meat;
• Sauces made from meat.

Saturated fat

Dr. London clarifies that “excess saturated fat” includes fatty meats, butter and full-fat dairy products. However, this is a controversial point in the scientific community.

Professor Sarah Berry, a nutrition expert at King’s College London, said: “The biggest misconception that frustrates me is the notion that milk is high in saturated fat and therefore increases the risk of heart disease. That is not the case.”

However, experts agree that ultra-processed foods (UPF) often contain large amounts of saturated fat along with sugar and salt. Dr. William Li notes that a growing body of research shows that consuming ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher burden of disease, including cancer.

Despite his stern warnings, Dr. London says the goal isn’t necessarily to completely eliminate these foods in a negative way. He suggests the 80/20 rule: If you maintain a healthy diet 80% of the time, that’s a win.

As for the issue of alcohol, the latest medical reports are becoming more rigorous. A recent report from the US Surgeon General warns that alcohol is directly linked to at least seven types of cancer. Even light or moderate drinking increases the risk.

Dr. Ernest Hawk, Vice President of MD Anderson Cancer Center (University of Texas), confirmed in the newspaper New York Times: “There is no safe level of alcohol consumption when considering cancer risk.”