4 types of drinks to avoid that can cause 'hardening' of the arteries

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Drinks that contain a lot of sugar can increase the risk of atherosclerosis — the thickening or hardening of the arteries, which in turn can lead to blood clots, a nutritionist warns.

Diet plays a huge role in our health. For example, certain foods can increase the risk of weight gain or high cholesterol. However, what we drink can have just as much of an impact.

Sweet drinks may be one of the culprits in blood clots because of their effect on cholesterol levels. Clots are small blood clots that have turned into a gel-like substance.

Although they are necessary to prevent excessive bleeding from a cut, those that do not resolve naturally can be dangerous. And if they end up in organs like the lungs or the heart, that's a serious concern.

Sugar can increase the risk of blood clots:

Sweet foods are also involved in many pathways leading to to atherosclerosis. The same as fats. Sugar not only increases LDL cholesterol, but also causes severe oxidative stress and inflammation, causing LDL to form oxidized LDL, which can increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

As with fat, inflammation triggers processes such as platelet aggregation, which causes blood clots to form.

Platelet aggregation is one of the factors involved in atherosclerosis, and is what leads to obstruction and blood clots.

To reduce the likelihood of blood clot formation, he advised not to drink too many of the following drinks:

• Fizzy drinks
• Low-quality fruit juices (with added sugar, without pulp)
• Tinctures
• Energy drinks