Eat an avocado daily to lower cholesterol

Diet is an essential part of good health, and a varied diet can contribute to well-being and quality of life. Avocados can be part of a healthy diet and provide beneficial nutrients. A new study finds that eating an avocado daily does not contribute to weight gain, may lower bad cholesterol levels and improve diet quality.

Food trends and the latest diets are constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up. Some experts are now focusing their research on the health benefits of certain foods. One such food is avocado. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association evaluated the effect of daily avocado consumption compared to a regular diet. Although the researchers did not find a significant difference between the control group and the intervention group, they did find that participants who ate one avocado daily had lower levels of bad cholesterol and improved the quality of their diet.

Cholesterol and the nutritional value of avocado

Cholesterol can come from food, but the body also makes it. There are two main types of cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Keeping cholesterol, especially LDL (sometimes called “bad”) cholesterol, below a certain level is essential to prevent adverse health effects such as stroke or coronary heart disease. In fact, cholesterol levels in the blood are linked to heart health.
Studies convincingly show that cholesterol levels are important for heart health. Elevated levels are an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease.

Research is ongoing on the factors that affect cholesterol levels and how people can change their diet to keep cholesterol at healthy levels and improve their overall diet. One area of ​​interest is the effect of certain foods on health. For example, eating avocados can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Avocados also contain many beneficial vitamins, such as vitamins C and K, and are a good source of fiber.

Avocado benefits a day

The study in question was a randomized controlled trial that looked at the health benefits of consuming one avocado per day for six months. The researchers wanted to see if eating an avocado daily helps subjects reduce visceral obesity in participants with large waist circumferences (“waist circumference ≥90 cm for women and 100 cm for men”).
They also looked at the effect on many other health outcomes, including cholesterol levels, body weight, body mass index, and health-related quality of life.

To be included in the study, participants had to have a large waist circumference and a regular consumption of two or fewer avocados per month. The intervention group (505 participants) consumed one avocado per day, while the control group (503 participants) continued their regular diet. The researchers collected food intake data at the start of the study, and then 8, 16 and 26 weeks later, and used MRI scans to check levels of visceral adipose tissue. Any body fat that covers the abdominal organs.
The researchers found that there were no significant differences between the control and intervention groups. The exception was cholesterol levels. The intervention group had lower levels of total cholesterol and lower levels of “bad” cholesterol.

There were also slight differences in diet between the two groups, with the intervention group scoring higher on the healthy eating index. The intervention group had higher levels of fiber and fat and lower levels of carbohydrates and protein. In addition, the researchers found no significant differences between groups in weight gain, indicating that eating one avocado per day does not contribute to weight gain.

The study found that simply adding a “healthy food” in terms of fat and nutrients, such as avocado in this case, to the diet did not lead to clinical benefits. However, there were no negative effects, and they were associated with a benefit, which is an overall improvement in diet quality.

Frontiers and future prospects

This study has some limitations. For example, the researchers did not collect data on participants’ medications. Then, the participants were only observed for six months, and a longer period could have led to different results, especially with regard to visceral adipose tissue. The important message from the study is that focusing on one food is not a substitute for maintaining an overall healthy diet. However, aside from cholesterol’s modest benefits, anything that encourages people to eat more fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet is generally welcome.