10 Food Habits That Can Increase Heart Disease Risk

Certain food habits can significantly increase the risk of heart disease over time. Poor dietary choices such as consuming excessive saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars, and sodium can lead to high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity, and insulin resistance, all of which strain cardiovascular health. Regularly skipping meals or binge eating can also disrupt metabolism and hormone balance. Often, these habits develop slowly and go unnoticed until they contribute to serious heart problems. In this article, we share a list of food habits that can increase your heart disease risk.

10 Food habits that can increase heart disease risk

1. Consuming too much processed food

Regular intake of packaged snacks, instant noodles, ready-to-eat meals, and deli meats can be dangerous. These are often loaded with trans fats, preservatives, and sodium, which increase cholesterol levels and blood pressure, key risk factors for heart disease.

2. Excessive sugar intake

Frequent consumption of sugary drinks, desserts, candies, and cereals spikes blood sugar and insulin levels, promoting fat storage and inflammation. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease.

3. High salt consumption

Adding too much salt to your food or eating salty snacks increases blood pressure, damaging blood vessels and the heart. Processed foods and restaurant meals are often hidden sources of high sodium.

4. Skipping breakfast regularly

Skipping the first meal of the day can lead to unhealthy snacking, poor metabolism, and increased cortisol levels. Over time, this raises the risk of high cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity—all linked to heart disease.

5. Eating late at night

Late-night eating, especially heavy meals, puts extra pressure on the digestive system and disrupts blood sugar control and fat metabolism. It can also interfere with sleep, further affecting heart health.

6. Low fibre intake

A diet low in fibre, especially from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can lead to poor digestion and high cholesterol. Soluble fibre helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream, aiding heart protection.

7. Overeating red and processed meats

Regular consumption of red meats like beef and lamb, and processed meats like sausages and bacon, is linked to higher saturated fat intake and increased risk of heart blockages and atherosclerosis.

8. Fried and fast food dependency

Frequent intake of deep-fried items like fries, fried chicken, and fast food burgers contributes unhealthy fats and calories, leading to weight gain and arterial plaque buildup.

9. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages

Sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened juices are high in added sugars. They increase triglyceride levels and decrease HDL (good cholesterol), raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

10. Irregular meal patterns or binge eating

Erratic eating patterns, such as long fasting followed by heavy overeating, can strain the heart by causing spikes in blood sugar and blood pressure. This erratic metabolic stress is harmful to heart rhythm and function.

Being mindful of what, how, and when you eat plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy heart and preventing long-term complications.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.