Heart surgeon reveals 'single worst thing' you can do to your body

There's little that someone who's worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon for the last 25 years doesn't know when it comes to keeping your body healthy.

But according to one expert, there are four vital no-go's when it comes to protecting your big ol' blood pumper.

Dr London issued some advice for his social media followers (ronstik/Getty)

Dr Jeremy London claims his high-stakes profession has taught him a lot about the right and wrong ways to live your life.

So much so, that as well as performing life-saving heart surgery on a daily basis, he regularly uploads his expertise to social media.

And in a recent clip - which has since accumulated a colossal 1.3 million views - the Georgia-based medic can be seen lifting the lid on the four most important factors when it comes to keeping your heart fit and healthy.

1) Do not smoke or vape

While vaping was originally sold to the world as a means of weaning smokers away from harmful substances found in cigarettes, it has since been found that one might just be as a bad as the other.

Beginning his most recent rant, Dr London explained traditional means of smoking are a big no-no when it comes to protecting your heart.

"Smoking directly injures the lining of blood vessels, increases the chance of atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries] and blockages and causes cancer," he firstly emphasised.

The surgeon warns against smoking or vaping (Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty)

"It’s probably the single worst thing you can do for yourself."

2) Alcohol

Before you start arguing that you only enjoy a glass of wine with dinner every now and again, or a glass of Prosecco only on a special occasion, Dr London says that alcohol in any capacity could be doing irreparable harm to our bodies.

"I hate to tell you, but even moderate alcohol use is in question," he revealed. "Why is that? Well, when we drink alcohol, it’s broken down to acetaldehyde and acetate.

"Acetaldehyde is directly toxic to every single cell in the body and acetate is just empty calories."

3) Alcohol-based mouthwash

Whilst we're on the subject of booze, it isn't just wines, beers and spirits that could cause harm, but the chemical alcohol itself.

And with that in mind, Dr London has also issued a stark warning against some hygiene products that contain alcohol, including mouthwash, which can kill off our healthy gut bacteria.

Dr London issued a warning against alcohol-based mouthwash (Grace Cary/Getty)

This bacteria can help with digestion and immune system regulation, as well as assisting nutrient absorption.

"And, interestingly, the bacteria in the mouth help produce nitric oxide, which helps regulate and control blood pressure," he added.

"By killing this bacteria, you can actually cause or worsen hypertension or high blood pressure."

So, by disrupting this helpful bacteria, you could end up not only with digestive issues, but with thyroid dysfunction, skin conditions and chronic disease, according to the doc.

4) Processed foods

They say we are what we eat, and according to Dr London, nothing could be more true.

As such, he adds that one of the biggest heart-related killers is the overconsumption of harmful foods, particularly processed meals.

"The protein, fats and carbohydrates that you ingest give the energy and the building blocks to every single cell in your body," he explained.

Processed foods can be detrimental to your heart health (Tatsiana Volkava/Getty)

"Be thoughtful about your nutritional plan."

For those out of the loop, processed foods are those that have been changed from their natural state, whether that be through cutting, washing, heating, cooking or adding preservatives.

Some popular examples of these are ice cream, pasta, pies and pastries.