Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj is a board-certified interventional cardiologist and a certified, functional medicine doctor. For over two decades, he’s been on the frontlines, diagnosing and treating heart disease in all forms – be it through clogged arteries or metabolic dysfunction. He is a national educator for the Institute for Functional Medicine. He has spent the past several decades studying how nutrition can prevent and even reverse cardiovascular disease. Recently, Dr. Bhojraj identified a few American foods that he feels are damaging to heart health. He went through each one, adamantly stating that there are nine responses that he “couldn’t pay me to eat.”
Dr. Bhojraj’s perspective comes at a crucial time, amidst the heart disease epidemic gripping the United States. As reported by the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of men and women. With this in mind, Dr. Bhojraj emphasizes the importance of recognizing the nutritional myths that have pervaded American dietary habits.
He points out margarine as one of the most egregious examples. It was previously promoted as a heart-healthy substitute for butter. Dr. Bhojraj argues that margarine has turned out to be one of the biggest nutrition myths of the last century. The cardiologist uncovers the bombshell truth that scores of consumers do not realize—that margarine is not the healthier choice margarine marketers have led us to believe. On the contrary, its composition can be heart-stopping.
Dr. Bhojraj reminds everyone about the hidden trans fats that lurk in margarine and other processed products. Saturated and trans fats increase your LDL cholesterol, which is known as “bad” cholesterol. They drop your HDL cholesterol too — the “good” cholesterol. This imbalance can cause greater arterial stiffness and increase the likelihood of cardiovascular complications.
Along with margarine, Dr. Bhojraj cautions against deep-fried foods made with industrial seed oils. Standby foods such as corn dogs, funnel cakes and French fries are frequently made using these oils. These oils are prone to oxidation at high temperatures, sometimes resulting in the creation of potentially toxic byproducts. The angry cardiologist does not mince words on the subject of fried foods and unhealthy weight gain. This detrimental behavior further increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, which is linked to heart disease.
Dr. Bhojraj’s advice goes well past cutting out unhealthy fats and frying your foods. He encourages Americans to focus on their diet as a whole. Unhelpful foods Metabolically unhealthy foods are all around us and deceptively common—these foods have proven to be pitfalls for improving metabolic health. He argues that the modern diet of processed sugars and refined carbs are at the core of metabolic dysfunction and increasingly chronic health problems.
The cardiologist’s commitment to functional medicine further highlights his mission of treating the root cause, not just symptoms. He’s a firm advocate of a holistic approach to heart disease. In his view, dietary changes are essential to both prevention and treatment.
In his new position as a national educator, Dr. Bhojraj is committed to raising awareness about these important health disparities. He is on a mission to deepen personal empowerment. He equips them with the information and understanding they require to make empowered dietary decisions that will enhance their cardiovascular wellbeing.
Click through to hear Dr. Bhojraj talk about the nine American foods to steer clear of, and why. He wants to create a paradigm shift in how people think about what they eat. He is passionate about using data to raise public awareness to help drive better health outcomes. Ultimately, this can lead to meaningful reductions in heart disease’s burden on society.