A prominent heart surgeon has called soft drinks 'liquid death', urging people to avoid them entirely. Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified surgeon in general, vascular, and thoracic surgery, shared his views on Instagram, listing soft drinks among four things he absolutely avoids.
In his post, Dr London stated: 'Liquid death. Just don't drink them. Period. Done.' He also warned against smoking, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates, noting that 80% of weight control is diet and 20% is exercise.
In a follow-up interview with Today, Dr London acknowledged his strong language was intended to draw attention to the health risks of sugary fizzy drinks. He said: 'I think that soft drinks are just a scourge in our society... high-calorie soft drinks and ingesting a lot of calories that people don't realise they're getting with the sugar-based soft drinks is a big no-no.'
Other medical experts share his concerns. Dr William Li told the Zoe podcast that high consumption of soda is linked to metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk. He emphasised that the problem is not just sugar but also additives, colours, flavourings, and preservatives that accumulate toxins over time.
The NHS advises that children should avoid sugary fizzy drinks entirely to protect their teeth and prevent obesity, recommending water or sugar-free alternatives instead.
