This Popular Breakfast Food Could Be Clogging Your Arteries, Cardiologists Say
Sometimes, we joke about how the way to our hearts is through our stomachs. And there’s some truth to the tongue-in-cheek line about foodies, especially at breakfast time. Our hearts benefit from a healthy start (and diet in general).
“It is important to start the day well with a heart-healthy breakfast for many reasons,” states Dr.Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “First, it resets the body’s metabolism and prepares it for a day of burning calories. A hearty breakfast provides the nutrition and energy for an active day. It also helps with avoiding excessive hunger later in the day, lessening the chance of overeating.”
So that explains why a 2019 study in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development & Disease pointed to data suggesting that eating breakfast is linked to better heart health. Of course, people may skip breakfast because they’re in a time crunch. Should they decide to start a habit of eating first thing, it’s tempting (and understandable) to reach for convenient foods that don’t require any preparation. Unfortunately, cardiologists say these foods can clog your arteries and cause other heart problems.
“Ultra-processed foods are engineered to have combinations of sugar, salt and fat that do not exist in nature, maximizing palatability and overriding your natural satiety cues, causing you to over-consume,” warns Dr. Mary Greene, MD, a cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in NYC and a labfinder.com contributor.
It’s really easy to over-consume a ubiquitous breakfast food, and you may have done just that since childhood. Unfortunately, three cardiologists and a cardiology dietitian agree that one popular breakfast food could be clogging your arteries.
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This Popular Breakfast Food Could Be Clogging Your Arteries, Cardiologists Warn
Cardiologists warn that sugary breakfast cereals can clog your arteries without you realizing it. Unfortunately, many of us were introduced to these breakfast foods as children and never quite pivoted to a heart-friendlier meal. A cardiologist empathizes.
“We all remember those ‘tasty’ sugary cereals growing up,” says Dr. Mohanakrishnan Sathyamoorthy, MD, the chair of Internal Medicine at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “It was thought that a little sweet on top of processed grains would help us achieve more servings of the original USDA food pyramid.”
Grace Cary/Getty Images
(Grace Cary/Getty Images)
That wound up not being the case, which brings us to modern-day reality.
“It turns out, however, these sugary breakfast cereals are very high in simple carbohydrates and sugary additives that raise our blood sugars and promote insulin resistance,” Dr. Sathyamoorthy continues. “This, in turn, is one of the leading causes of atherosclerosis, which is the medical term for ‘clogged arteries.'”
Wait, aren’t insulin resistance and sugar related to diabetes risk, not heart health risk? It turns out that habitual blood sugar spikes can play a role in both issues.
“Not only do [blood sugar spikes in the bloodstream] directly increase chronic inflammation in the body, but over time can lead to impaired glucose tolerance and even diabetes,” Dr. Chen shares. “Diabetes itself can then further damage blood vessels, which can then lead to clogging of the heart arteries.”
Ugh. Does that mean you can never, ever eat a sugary cereal?
“Occasional consumption or a single bowl won’t instantly clog an artery, but regularly eating high sugar, low fiber breakfasts shifts your biology toward stiffer, more plaque-prone blood vessels,” explains Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com.
The American Heart Association advises that:
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Women limit added sugar intake to 100 calories (6 teaspoons or 25 grams) daily
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Men limit added sugar intake to 150 calories (9 teaspoons or 36 grams) daily
Related: These 4 Heart Disease Symptoms Are Often Dismissed as ‘Aging’ or ‘Stress’
Exactly What Happens to the Arteries When You Eat Sugary Cereals
Diabetes and clogged arteries can develop without symptoms. However, that doesn’t mean nothing is going on in the body, or that consistently eating sugary cereals isn’t playing a role. Dr. Greene offered a peek inside the body “on” sugary cereals.
“When consuming a sugary cereal, the first thing that occurs is a sudden spike in blood sugar, especially if it contains high fructose,” she explains.
Dr. Greene shares that the liver goes into action, telling Parade, “The liver immediately processes fructose and converts it into fat in the form of dense LDL particles, triglycerides and VLDL particles that transport the lipids through the bloodstream.”
She says that elevated blood sugar levels can also cause:
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Endothelial (the lining of the blood vessels) dysfunction
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Inflammation of the blood vessels
Dr. Greene warns that all of the above create an environment that puts you at a higher risk for blockages in the arteries and blood clots. She also says that sugary cereals increase your odds of high blood pressure and obesity, neither of which boosts cardiovascular health. Importantly, though, research suggests that high-sugar diets can lead to heart disease deaths even if someone is not overweight or obese.
Related: This Daily Habit Is Secretly Damaging Your Arteries, Cardiologists Warn
3 Heart-Healthy Breakfast Foods
If you’re realizing that you need to cut back on sugary breakfast cereals to keep your arteries healthy and clear, know that there are many healthy, low-to-no-prep options available to you.
Dig into these heart-friendly breakfast ideas from Routhenstein:
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Steel-cut oats with berries, walnuts and cinnamon. She loves this mix of LDL-lowering soluble fiber (which also slows blood sugar spikes), anti-inflammatory benefits of berries, the protein and heart-healthy fats in walnuts. She says this dish will help “keep you full, supporting both steady energy and vascular health.”
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Greek yogurt parfait with chia seeds, berries and unsweetened cereal or nuts. Routhenstein shares this heart-healthy breakfast that combines protein, fiber and healthy fats. It’ll help you start your day with stabilized blood sugar while supporting long-term cholesterol and triglycerides (if you regularly include it in your rotation).
OK, so are they as easy to “make” as pouring cereal in a bowl? No…but they’re pretty close, and your heart will love them.
“When we prioritize ‘easy, which is a selling point for processed foods, we miss out on the joy of nutrient-dense foods that not only taste great but are so much more beneficial for health and wellness,” Dr. Sathyamoorthy says. “Prioritize ‘excellent’ over ‘easy.'”
Up Next:
Related: It’s Possible To Reverse Heart Failure—Here’s What That Means, According to Cardiologists
Sources:
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Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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