Avocados & Your Cholesterol

1 min

Eating one avocado a day may do the trick, according to Penn State researchers. The investigators recruited 45 obese or overweight adults for a study to compare three low and moderate fat diets, one of which included a daily avocado. Results showed that the avocados helped reduce LDL particles that had been oxidized, a process that starts a chain reaction “that can promote atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of plaque in the artery walls,” noted study leader Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D. Significantly, the moderate fat diet without avocadoes was supplemented with healthy fats to match the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids provided from avocados, but did not have as pronounced effects. Since the avocado diet worked best to lower LDL, the researchers suggested that it is likely that avocados have “additional bioactives” that contributed to the diet’s benefits. Based on the findings, Dr. Kris-Etherton said “people should consider adding avocados to their diet in a healthy way, like on whole-wheat toast or as a veggie dip.”

My take? This is welcome news, and it adds to what we know about the many health benefits associated with including avocados in your diet. A 2013 analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that people who regularly eat these unique fruits have better diet quality and nutrient intake than their peers, as well as lower body weight, lower BMI (body mass index), lower intake of added sugars, higher levels of HDL and a lower risk of metabolic syndrome.

Source:
Penny M Kris-Etherton et al, “A Moderate-Fat Diet with One Avocado per Day Increases Plasma Antioxidants and Decreases the Oxidation of Small, Dense LDL in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” The Journal of Nutrition, October 14, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz231

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