6 Everyday Foods That Could Be Harming Your Heart
You probably don't think of your Wednesday snack as a health decision. But researchers do. Across big studies, the same few foods keep coming up in connection with heart disease. Most of them are already in your kitchen. Here are 6.
1. Instant noodles
Two minutes, one pot, done. That's the appeal. But the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Institute of Epidemiology lists instant noodles among the main hidden sources of salt in Indian diets. They're also ultra-processed, and a 2019 British Medical Journal study of more than 100,000 French adults found that people who ate more of it had a higher risk of heart disease.
2. Chips, namkeen, pickle and papad
Nobody counts the pickle on the side of the plate. Maybe we should. The World Health Organization says adults should stay under 5 grams of salt a day, about one teaspoon. The same ICMR institute says the average Indian eats about 11 grams, and it names chips, namkeen, pickles and papad among the usual sources. Too much salt raises blood pressure, and that raises the risk of stroke and heart disease.
3. French fries and fried chicken
Crispy is hard to say no to. A 2021 analysis in the journal Heart pooled 17 studies covering more than 500,000 people. Those who ate the most fried food had a 28% higher risk of major heart problems than those who ate the least. The researchers did point out that the studies relied on people's memory of what they ate, so they're not the final word.
4. Biscuits and bakery items
That biscuit with your chai isn't just sugar. WHO says industrially made trans fat is common in baked goods, packaged foods, cooking oils and spreads. It says trans fat is responsible for up to 500,000 early deaths from heart disease every year. ICMR also lists biscuits, cookies and bread as sources of hidden salt.
5. Cold drinks
A 2025 paper in Nature Medicine, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, pooled dozens of earlier studies. It linked sugary drinks, at up to about one can of soda a day, to at least a 2% higher risk of heart disease. That's a small number, and the authors said some of the links were weak. Still, they said it makes sense to keep advising people to cut back.
6. Fast food and ready meals
Late night, tired, easy to order. A Greek study called ATTICA, presented at a European Society of Cardiology meeting in 2021, followed about 2,000 adults for ten years. Each extra weekly serving of fast food, ready meals, desserts and salty snacks was linked to a 10% higher chance of heart disease. The link was stronger in people whose diets were already unhealthy.
None of this means you can never touch a packet of chips again. These studies show links, not proof, and it's the daily habit that adds up, not the occasional treat. Check labels for ingredients. Swap one packaged snack a day for something healthy. That's a start.