People always say that vegetables are good for you, but did you know that avocados might lower your risk of cardiovascular disease? This delicious vegetable used in salads, power-smoothies, guacamole and more was recently under the scope by American and Australian scientists due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids.
The study published in the Journal of American Heart Association investigated whether inclusion of one avocado per day as part of a moderate-fat, cholesterol-lowering diet had any effect on overweight patient’s lipid-profile, compared to a low-fat diet and a moderate-fat diet without avocados. The study participants underwent controlled feeding, which means that every nutrient that was eaten for five weeks had to be registered by the scientists.
This interesting and randomized study showed that participants eating one avocado per day lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as low-density lipoprotein particle number and the ratio between the “bad” and “good” lipids, compared to the participants that followed other “non-avocado” diets. The authors conclude that avocados have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors.
What so great about this study? Finally something really tasty is found to have health effects! Avocados are found in every supermarket and have a variety of applications in your cooking. Combine your avocado with other nutritious vegetables like tomatoes and selery in a salad, or just simply eat it raw on a piece of bread. Your cardiovascular system will thank you later.
Erik Madssen, Physician and PhD-candidate at CERG
Cardiac Exercise Research Group 