Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified heart surgeon in general, vascular, and thoracic surgery, has labeled soft drinks as "liquid death" and urges people not to drink them at all. In an Instagram post, he outlined four things he absolutely avoids: smoking, alcohol, breads and pastas, and fizzy drinks.
Smoking and Alcohol Top the List
Dr London stated that smoking is "the single worst thing you can do for your entire body," causing lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and high cardiovascular risks. He called alcohol "toxic to every cell in your body" and shared that removing it from his life was transformative.
Soft Drinks: A Scourge on Society
Ranking third, soft drinks were described as "liquid death." Dr London said, "Just don't drink them. Period." In a follow-up interview with Today, he acknowledged the label was attention-grabbing but stood by his warning: "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 Experts Agree on Health Risks
Dr William Li, speaking on the Zoe podcast, supported this view: "Soda is everyone's favourite whipping boy. Rightfully so. High consumption of soda is associated with metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk." He emphasized that additives, colors, and preservatives in soda contribute to chronic toxin exposure.
NHS Advice on Sugary Drinks
According to the NHS, children should avoid sugary fizzy drinks, squash, and juice drinks to protect their teeth and prevent obesity. Health experts recommend switching to diet, sugar-free, or no-added-sugar alternatives, or better yet, water for proper hydration.
