Protecting your cardiovascular health starts with what you drink. Doctors warn that certain beverages silently damage your blood vessels, raising the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Here are five drinks you should stop consuming today to keep your heart and vessels healthy.

The story of Xiao Zhang, 38, is a sobering reminder. Rushed to the hospital for what seemed like heatstroke, tests revealed dangerously high blood sugar—40 mmol/L. Doctors discovered he had diabetes caused by years of replacing water with sugary sodas. Chronic high blood sugar damages blood vessels, increasing the risk of life-threatening complications.

Doctors emphasize: Conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, and hyperglycemia silently injure blood vessels. Over time, this damage can narrow or block arteries, leading to heart attacks, strokes, or other severe outcomes.

1. Alcohol

Though many believe alcohol helps the heart, **its effects are temporary and misleading.** Alcohol initially dilates vessels, but it soon triggers prolonged vasoconstriction, raising blood pressure. Long-term consumption disrupts fat metabolism, increasing LDL cholesterol—the primary culprit behind atherosclerosis.

2. Carbonated Soft Drinks

A single 500 ml soda contains over 60 g of sugar—exceeding the recommended daily limit. **Regularly drinking soda promotes weight gain, insulin resistance, and eventually diabetes,** which can severely damage blood vessels.

3. Milk Tea

Despite its name, milk tea isn’t a healthy alternative. **Loaded with sugar—sometimes more than soda—it elevates blood sugar levels and vascular risk.** Frequent consumption increases the likelihood of diabetes and arterial damage.

4. Rich Meat Broth

Beloved by many for its flavor, **meat broth contains high fat and purines, not significant nutrition.** Overconsumption raises blood lipids and uric acid, harming blood vessels and raising the risk of gout.

5. High-Salt Beverages

Soups, sports drinks, and packaged juices with high sodium content **increase blood pressure by boosting blood volume.** Chronic high salt intake accelerates arterial damage and atherosclerosis.