This Is Hands Down the Worst Food for Artery Health, Cardiologist Says

When we were younger, we would moan and groan at the vegetables on our dinner plates, failing to understand why we had to tolerate such nutrient-dense foods. But as we get older, we start to understand the consequences of poor dietary choices, with heart disease and clogged arteries being among the most serious. With doctors' appointments and blood work becoming more frequent with age, we quickly learn that certain foods seriously fuel arterial plaque buildup, raising your risk of heart attacks and making mindful dietary choices critical.

"Processed red meats such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats are among the foods most strongly associated with arterial plaque buildup," says Scott Dawson, M.D., cardiologist of Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care. "These foods are high in saturated fat, often containing preservatives and sodium that adversely affect vascular health."

Not the gabagool! But alas, processed red meats accelerate plaque buildup by raising levels of ApoB-containing lipoproteins, including LDL ("bad") cholesterol. These particles are small enough to penetrate the inner lining of your arteries. Once LDL particles get stuck in the arterial wall, they become oxidized, triggering inflammation. The immune system sends macrophages to clean them up, forming "foam cells," which represent the earliest sign of plaque. Gradually, the buildup narrows arteries and can rupture, which is what causes most heart attacks.

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"From a cardiovascular standpoint, the primary driver of plaque formation is not just dietary fat itself, but its effect on increasing circulating levels of atherogenic lipoproteins, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles and apolipoprotein B (ApoB)," Dawson says. "It’s important to emphasize that plaque buildup is cumulative."

Along with saturated fat, processed meats also contain high levels of sodium and chemical preservatives. Such compounds, like nitrates and nitrites, can contribute to endothelial dysfunction, increased blood pressure, and oxidative stress—all of which accelerate vascular injury.

Related: This Is Hands Down the Worst Type of Meat for Gut Health, According to a Gastroenterologist

Foods That Cause Plaque Buildup

You can likely guess other common foods that cause plaque buildup: ultra-processed foods, fast food, fried foods, sugary beverages, and the like. They all share commonalities of being high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and sodium.

Beyond raising ApoB levels, these foods promote insulin resistance, visceral fat accumulation, chronic inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. This accelerates the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in your artery walls.

"Regular consumption of foods that raise ApoB-containing lipoproteins accelerates this process, whereas diets that lower ApoB slow or even stabilize plaque progression," Dawson says.

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