Georgia heart surgeon warns four foods actively poisoning you, including a supposedly healthy option

A Georgia cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Dr. Jeremy London, has highlighted four foods and drinks he avoids to lower his risk of cardiovascular disease, a stance he reiterated in a resurfaced TikTok video. London says that if people are trying to optimize health, they should avoid substances that actively poison the body. The top risks he cites align with well-established statistics about heart disease, America's leading killer that claims about 1 million lives each year and accounts for a sizable share of deaths nationwide. Heart disease includes coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke, and experts say the burden is rising across the country. Health officials project that by 2050, more than 60 percent of Americans will have some form of heart disease.

In the resurfaced clip, London outlines four categories of foods and drinks he never consumes due to their associated cardiovascular risk, including one beverage long touted as healthy. He frames his approach as a practical checklist for people trying to minimize how much the body's tissues are exposed to potential harm.

First, he labels fast food as “edible food product” rather than real food and says he avoids most fast-food options because they tend to be loaded with saturated fat, sugar and sodium. He notes that fast food is often ultra-processed and contains emulsifiers, thickeners and artificial colors that may provoke inflammation and raise blood pressure, thereby increasing strain on the heart. London argues that while burgers and fries are technically edible, they do not supply the nutrients necessary to support a healthy heart.

Second, London targets soft drinks, both regular and diet. He has described sodas as “liquid death” due to their health risks. A typical 12-ounce can carries roughly 40 grams of added sugar, which is near the daily limit set by U.S. nutrition guidelines. Excess sugar can raise blood pressure and elevate LDL cholesterol, contributing to arterial clogging. The role of artificial sweeteners in diet sodas is more controversial; some research has linked certain sweeteners to cardiovascular risks, though findings vary. Studies cited in the notes included work examining aspartame in mice and observations from the University of California, Irvine, associating regular use of artificial sweeteners with higher stroke and heart-disease risk, potentially through effects on blood pressure, inflammation and weight gain.

Third, he urges caution with milk products. He argues that full-fat dairy can raise heart-disease risk due to saturated fat content, while acknowledging that science on dairy’s net effect is mixed. London questions the role of dairy in the human diet and emphasizes that some fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, may carry neutral or even protective signals in some studies. He references a broader debate in nutrition science about whether dairy raises, lowers or has a neutral effect on heart risk, noting conflicting evidence from different reviews and journals.

Fourth, London decries alcohol as a toxin to cells. He says that even moderate or occasional drinking can increase heart-disease risk, pointing to the broader body of research linking long-term alcohol use to cardiomyopathy and stress hormone effects that raise heart rate and blood pressure. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men, while some global health authorities have suggested that no amount is completely risk-free. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, aligning it with other high-risk substances in its highest-risk category.

The article notes that the source of these claims is a resurfaced Daily Mail feature describing London’s video and his four-item list. Health authorities and researchers continue to study dietary patterns and heart-disease risk, and public health guidance remains to emphasize a balanced diet rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with regular physical activity and risk-factor management. While the substances London singles out are controversial in nutrition circles, the broader takeaway for many readers is to review dietary choices that may influence long-term cardiovascular health.