Red meat, saturated fat and excess salt are often blamed for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. But according to one heart surgeon, there’s another major culprit many people overlook: refined carbohydrates.

Heart disease remained the leading cause of death in the US in 2024, accounting for 683,491 deaths. While exercise and genetics both play a role, diet remains one of the biggest lifestyle factors linked to heart health.

Veteran heart surgeon Dr Philip Ovadia spoke to vt.co and warned that refined carbohydrates may quietly damage heart health over time.

“This food drives insulin resistance, triggers chronic inflammation, and is slowly destroying your heart,” Ovadia said.

According to the doctor, refined carbohydrates may contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks.

“It leads to exactly the inflammatory environment that turns into that soft, unstable plaque I see causing heart attacks every week in the operating room,” he explained.

Foods many people think are healthy

Dr. Ovadia warned that some foods often marketed as healthy may still contain large amounts of 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.

Other foods he advised people to limit include bagels, flavored yogurts, fruit juice, instant oatmeal, breakfast cereal, crackers and potato chips.

Instead he recommended eating plenty of vegetables, healthy fats and protein.

The Mediterranean diet is widely considered one of the healthiest eating patterns for both heart and overall health. It focuses on vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds and whole grains while limiting ultra-processed foods and excessive red meat.

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