An Avocado A Day Help Lower Bad Cholesterol

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Avocadoes have earned their reputation as a “superfood” and deserve to take their place as one of the healthiest fruits on the planet. As more and more research goes into the health benefits of this amazing food, evidence continues to emerge that, among other things, avocado can aid weight loss (especially abdominal obesity), curb the appetite naturally and enhance the absorption of other important nutrients such as Vitamin D.

However, evidence is emerging that avocadoes can also support and promote cardiac health and function. Specifically, it is being shown that avocadoes can help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels while raising up the HDL “good” cholesterol and improving the overall cholesterol ratio. Read on to find out more.

Why Avocadoes Help Cholesterol Levels

Avocadoes are so great for heart health because they are rich in healthy, monounsaturated fats and, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, regular consumption of this fruit can work within weeks to improve cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats have the proven ability to help prevent the build-up of plaque in the arteries and have similar health benefits to those found with oil and nuts.

In the past, during the “low fat” craze, calories in the diet once dedicated to fats were largely replaced with carbohydrates and this kind of diet was considered to be healthy. However, more research like this current study is finding that, in fact, it is actually healthier to simply avoid saturated fats in favor of monounsaturated and other healthy fats and consume what is overall considered to be a moderate-fat diet: not too much and not too little.

The Current Study

In this recently published study, researchers ran an intensive trial with 45 Americans who were overweight or obese but had healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. The study involved a carefully controlled diet and participants were divided into three different dietary groups: a low-fat diet without avocado, a moderate-fat diet without avocado and a moderate-fat diet with avocado. The big difference between these diets was that the moderate fat diets received around 33% of its calories from fat, while the low fat diet received around 24%.

This study lasted for five weeks. While no one lost significant weight on any of these diets, there was a significant difference in the cholesterol levels of the participants. While the cholesterol levels of all participants decreased – regardless of which diet they followed – the participants who followed the moderate fat diet with avocadoes decreased their cholesterol levels the most. The result, on average, was a reduction in cholesterol of 13 points for the moderate fat diet with avocado, 8.3 for the moderate fat diet without avocado and 7.4 for the low fat diet.

Researchers believe that it is not the monounsaturated fats alone, but also the fiber, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds in avocado that also contribute to its heart-healthy qualities.

In short, then, people who are interested in promoting heart health and lowering cholesterol levels should consider adding an avocado a day to their diets. The avocado’s unique blend of healthy fats, fiber and other nutrients is, when it comes to cardiac health, just what the doctor ordered.

(Sources : npr.org, amny.com , washingtonpost.com )

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Mayimina
Mayimina has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.