Heart diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally which claims nearly 17.9 million lives each year. Speaking to TODAY.com, Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon says that by adopting certain unhealthy habits, “you’re putting yourself at risk that you’re going to end up on my operating room table.”

He also shared “Things I avoid as a heart surgeon” on his Instagram page. Here, take a look at the look at the six things that Dr London avoids to keep his heart healthy.

London says that alcohol-based mouthwash that promises to kill virtually all germs can impact blood pressure. He further explains that good bacteria in the mouth help the body produce nitric oxide, which is involved in dilating blood vessels and keeping blood pressure in check.

However, antibacterial mouthwash not only kills the bad bacteria but also the good ones, thereby, impacting the process. London says, “You can actually increase your blood pressure simply by killing the bacteria in the mouth.”

He added, “And if you have a propensity to having high blood pressure, that can even be worse.”

London says that smoking injures the lining of blood vessels and not just the heart but also the brain. Therefore, it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, nicotine is a vasoconstrictor which narrows the blood vessels, thereby, increasing blood pressure levels.

London warns that smoking is “the single worst thing you can do for yourself. If you already have a history of heart disease and have a propensity to atherosclerosis, it actually accelerates that process exponentially.”

London says, “Alcohol is toxic to every cell in your body. I think that alcohol is going to be the new cigarette smoking.”

He adds, “Whether it’s one drink a week or one drink a night, you are still making a choice to put a toxic substance into your body. That being said, it is an individual choice. People have to make good decisions for themselves. It’s your body, your rules.”

“I think that soft drinks are just a scourge in our society, and so I was really trying to get some attention,” he says. “Obviously, high-calorie soft drinks and ingesting a lot of calories that people don’t realize they’re getting with the sugar-based soft drinks is a big no-no.”

London says that he is not against breads and pastas as long as they’re whole-grain products. However, the ones made with refined white flour, which has gone through a process that removes dietary fibre, iron and many B vitamins are bad.

London says, “The longer the shelf life, the shorter your life. Limit those things as much as you possibly are able.” London advises to focus on “God-made, not man-made” foods, especially one-ingredient, nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits and vegetables, lean meats and eggs.

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