Heart Surgeon With 25 Years of Experience Calls Fizzy Drinks “Liquid Death” and Warns Billions Who Drink Them
UNITED STATES – A cardiovascular surgeon with 25 years of experience is warning the public that fizzy drinks are not safe to consume even in moderation, describing them as “liquid death” and urging people to simply stop drinking them entirely.
Dr. Jeremy London made the warning in an Instagram post in which he outlined four common things he personally avoids to protect his long-term health, telling followers to be conscious about what they put in their bodies.
Four Things Dr. London Avoids Entirely
Dr. London began his list with smoking, calling it the single worst thing a person can do for their entire body due to the links to lung cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. He also said he cuts refined flours, breads, and pasta from his diet, and labeled alcohol as toxic to every cell in the body.
But it was his stance on fizzy drinks that drew the most attention. Without qualification or nuance, Dr. London told his followers simply not to drink them, adding “Period. Done.” He described soft drinks as liquid death, placing them alongside smoking and alcohol as things he avoids completely.
In a follow-up interview, Dr. London acknowledged the phrasing was partly an attention-grabbing tactic, though he stood by the underlying message, saying high-calorie soft drinks and the hidden sugar calories they contain are a major health problem that people consistently underestimate.
Why Fizzy Drinks Are So Harmful
Dr. William Li, appearing on the ZOE Science and Nutrition podcast, backed up Dr. London’s position, pointing to the steady accumulation of additives, colors, flavorings, preservatives, and stabilizers found in most fizzy drinks as the core problem. He said it is not a single exposure that causes harm but the chronic, repeated consumption over years that builds up as toxic exposure in the body.
Research supports the concern across multiple health areas. Because fizzy drinks contain fructose rather than glucose, they fail to suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin the same way starchy foods do, meaning they add significant calories without making a person feel full, contributing to weight gain over time.
On the insulin front, regular consumption increases insulin resistance, forcing the pancreas to work harder and raising the risk of type 2 diabetes. A 2013 study found that consuming roughly 150 grams of sugar per day, about the amount in a single can of fizzy drink, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 1.1 percent.
The links to more serious disease are also well documented. A 2010 study found adults who drank two or more fizzy drinks per week were 87 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer compared to those who avoided them. Research from Harvard Health has also established a connection between high sugar diets and early signs of heart disease, finding that people who drank at least five sugar-sweetened soft drinks a week showed higher rates of early cardiovascular markers than those who drank fewer than one per week.
What Doctors Recommend Instead
The Heart Foundation recommends water as the most straightforwardly heart-healthy drink available. Healthier alternatives include sparkling water with fresh fruit or herbs, unflavoured milk, plant-based milks with added calcium, tea, coffee, and small portions of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
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