Avocados Helps In Lowering Blood Cholesterol
A New study claims that consuming one avocado a day as part of a
moderate-fat diet could help lower bad cholesterol among people who are
overweight or obese.
Consuming one avocado a day
alongside a moderate-fat diet was found to lower 'bad' cholesterol among
overweight and obese individuals.
The researchers, including senior
author Penny M. Kris-Etherton, PhD, distinguished professor of nutrition at
Pennsylvania State University, publish their findings in the Journal of the
American Heart Association.
Avocado reduces blood cholesterol Video?
For their study, Kris-Etherton
and colleagues set out to assess how avocado consumption - by replacing
saturated fatty acids, or "bad" fats - affected risk factors
associated with cardiovascular diseases.
The team recruited 45 healthy
participants aged 21-70 years who were either obese or overweight.
Every participant was required to
follow each of three cholesterol-lowering diets for 5 weeks. The diets
consisted of a lower-fat diet without avocado, a moderate-fat diet without
avocado or a moderate-fat diet with one Hass avocado a day.
Prior to starting each diet,
subjects ate what the researchers deem an "average American diet,"
which was made up of 34% of calories from fat, 16% from protein, while around
half of calories were from carbohydrates.
From both of the moderate-fat
diets, participants gained 34% of calories from fat, of which 17% were from
monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). The lower-fat diet provided participants
with 24% of calories from fat, of which 11% was from MUFAs.
Moderate-fat diet with one
avocado a day lowered 'bad' cholesterol by 13.5 mg/dL
The researchers found that participants'
levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - referred to as the "bad"
cholesterol - were an average of 8.3 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) lower
after following the lower-fat diet without an avocado and 7.4 mg/dL lower after
following the moderate-fat diet without an avocado, compared with their
baseline average.
However, after participants
followed the moderate-fat diet with one avocado a day, their LDL levels were
found to be an average of 13.5 mg/dL lower than their baseline average.
What is more, the team found that
a number of additional blood measurements - such as total cholesterol, small
dense LDL, triglycerides and non-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) - were better
after participants followed the moderate-fat diet with one avocado a day, compared
with the other two diets.
Although these findings
demonstrate that an avocado a day alongside a moderate-fat diet has the
potential to reduce bad cholesterol, the team notes that their research was a
controlled feeding study. "That is not the real-world," says
Kris-Etherton, "so it is a proof-of-concept investigation."
Still, the team believes their
findings indicate that people should consider replacing saturated fatty acids
in their diet with healthier fats from avocados and other sources.
Kris-Etherton adds:
"We need to focus on getting
people to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes avocados and other
nutrient-rich food sources of better fats.
In the United States avocados are
not a mainstream food yet, and they can be expensive, especially at certain
times of the year. Also, most people do not really know how to incorporate them
in their diet except for making guacamole. But guacamole is typically eaten
with corn chips, which are high in calories and sodium. Avocados, however, can
also be eaten with salads, vegetables, sandwiches, lean protein foods (like
chicken or fish) or even whole."
It should be noted that this
research was supported by the Hass Avocado Board, but the researchers say the
organization played no other role in the study.
In January 2014, Medical News
Today reported on a study suggesting that consuming half an avocado with lunch
each day may satisfy hunger in overweight individuals and help with weight
management.
Our Knowledge Center article on
the health benefits of avocado reveals some of the other ways the food may be
good for us, as well as the potential risks of avocado consumption.(source: medicalnewstoday.com)
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