Health2 min(s) read
Published 10:42 15 May 2026 GMT
A heart surgeon who has performed more than 3,000 operations has issued a stark warning about the everyday foods he believes are 'slowly destroying your heart.'
Philip Ovadia said many of the foods causing heart attacks are sitting in 'most people’s kitchens' right now, and he claims they’re leading patients straight to the operating table.
“This food drives insulin resistance, triggers chronic inflammation, and is slowly destroying your heart,” Dr Ovadia warned.
The surgeon explained that during operations, he can physically see the damage certain diets have caused inside patients’ arteries.
According to him, one common issue is 'soft, unstable, and highly inflammatory' plaque buildup that can suddenly rupture and block blood flow.
He also described seeing 'hard, calcified plaque' that had gradually 'choked off' circulation.
While many people assume foods like red meat, salt, and saturated fats are the biggest danger to heart health, Dr Ovadia argued the real problem is 'highly processed carbohydrates.'
He said the major drivers behind dangerous plaque buildup are 'insulin resistance, chronic high blood sugar, inflammation, and visceral fat.'
The surgeon urged people to immediately cut several heavily processed foods from their diets, including:
“I don’t just mean candy and soda,” he explained.
Dr Ovadia also claimed that many products marketed as healthy are still packed with refined carbohydrates.
“Even foods marketed as healthy, like low-fat granola, whole wheat bread, and rice cakes are loaded with these refined carbs,” he said.
“These foods spike your blood sugar and your insulin repeatedly, they promote chronic inflammation, they drive visceral fat storage.”
He added that this creates 'exactly the inflammatory environment that turns into that soft, unstable plaque I see causing heart attacks every week in the operating room.'
Instead, the heart surgeon recommends replacing processed carbohydrates with 'real whole foods,' including vegetables, animal proteins, and 'healthy fats in their natural form.'
Jeremy London has echoed similar concerns about ultra-processed foods, warning people to avoid products full of additives and artificial ingredients but lacking proper nutrition.
Dr London summed it up by saying people should be cautious of foods 'your grandmother wouldn’t have' in her kitchen.
Meanwhile, Chris van Tulleken previously argued that ultra-processed foods have 'overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of early death on planet Earth.'
According to the National Health Service, symptoms of a heart attack can include:
