Dennis Hof's Poor Diet Played a Major Role in His Death, Heidi Fleiss Says

Dennis Hof's longtime pal in the sex biz, Heidi Fleiss, tells us the famous brothel owner's sugary diet and poor eating habits played a major role in his death.

Heidi would know better than anyone ... she's known Dennis forever and tells us he was constantly chowing down on an insane amount of Fudgsicles before and after dinner, and things got so bad recently, Dennis could barely walk.

Dennis' eating habits were so out of whack, Heidi says the famous pimp equated a Taco Bell salad to kale. She's convinced Dennis' declining health was a direct result of his poor diet, and believes it contributed to Hof's death.

The two longtime friends were planning to turn things around with a health retreat, but Heidi says they never got the chance.

As we first reported ... Dennis' Love Ranch has been shut down in the wake of his sudden death, and the future of his other brothel, the Bunny Ranch, is also up in the air.