The 3 Grocery Foods a Cardiologist Never Buys to Protect Blood Pressure and Prevent Heart Disease

The state of our heart health has a lot to do with the foods we eat and beverages we drink on a regular basis. It all starts with the choices you make at the grocery store and the items you bring home. Shopping mainly the perimeter and filling your cart with fresh produce, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins like chicken and fish can help you build a heart-forward diet that supports healthy blood pressure and lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. Many of the inner aisles, however, are a different story.

“The aisles I avoid are those holding ultra-processed foods: processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined and packaged snacks, and salty processed foods, as these are the categories most consistently linked to cardiovascular harm,” says May Bakir, MD, FACC, triple board-certified cardiologist and founder of InfiniteHeart Health.

Here’s why she stays away.

Related: Cardiologist Shares 7 Subtle Heart Health Warning Signs That Men Often Mistake for Aging

Grocery Store Aisles a Cardiologist Avoids for Heart Health

Processed Meats

Processed meats, which include deli meats, bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and salami, are among some of the most harmful items at the grocery store, most consistently associated with poorer cardiovascular health and strongly linked to coronary heart disease. They’re often high in sodium, which can raise blood pressure, and contain saturated fats. One study found that consuming 150 grams of processed meat per week was associated with a 46 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 50 percent higher risk of death. For context, that’s about five servings of deli meat or bacon.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

The beverage aisle: sugary sodas, energy drinks, sweetened teas, fruit drinks, and sports drinks contain substantial amounts of added sugar. Consuming too much added sugar contributes to insulin resistance, excess visceral fat, and unhealthy changes in blood lipids, all of which increase cardiovascular risk over time. One study found that adding one sugary drink per day was associated with an approximately 18 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Refined Snacks and the Bakery

The aisles filled with packaged cookies, crackers, chips, pastries, and other processed snacks also make it difficult to maintain a heart-healthy diet. Many of these foods are low in fiber, protein, and other beneficial nutrients, while containing high amounts of refined starch, added sugar, sodium, and fat. Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods has been directly linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Related: The Cooking Oil to Avoid to Lower Risk of Heart Disease, According to a Cardiologist

Experts

• May Bakir, MD, FACC, triple board-certified cardiologist and founder of InfiniteHeart Health

Sources

• Associations of unprocessed and processed meat intake with mortality and cardiovascular disease in 21 countries [Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study]: a prospective cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021
• Sugary drinks increase risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of how much you exercise. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2024
• Ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular disease: analysis of three large US prospective cohorts and a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The Lancet Regional Health, 2024
  
  

source https://www.mensjournal.com/health/cardiologist-3-grocery-store-aisles-to-avoid-for-heart-health