Avocados. The fruit that benefits heart health
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Avocados are not yet the fruit of preference in developing nations.
- The reason is that it is water-intensive farming and the end product is costly for the common man.
- But if one looks at the cost-effect benefits, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Eating two servings of
A 30-year study of more than 110,000 health professionals found that participants who ate at least two servings of avocado a week had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who rarely ate avocados.
The new research published was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) on Friday 1 April. The JAHA is an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Why are Avocados good for health?
Avocados contain dietary fibre, unsaturated fats especially monounsaturated fat (
Researchers believe this is the first, large, prospective study to support the positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.
“Our study provides further evidence that the intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and is an important component in cardiovascular disease prevention,” said Lorena S. Pacheco, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.N., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the nutrition department at the
How the study was conducted:
- For 30 years, researchers followed more than 68,780 women (ages 30 to 55 years).
- These participants were sourced from a group study – the Nurses’ Health Study.
- More than 41,700 men (ages 40 to 75 years) in this study were from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
- All study participants were US residents who were free of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke at the start of the study.
- Researchers documented 9,185 coronary heart disease events and 5,290 strokes during more than 30 years of follow-up.
- Researchers assessed participants’ diet using food frequency questionnaires given at the beginning of the study and then every four years.
- They calculated avocado intake from a questionnaire item that asked about the amount consumed and frequency.
- One serving equalled half of an avocado or a half cup of avocado.
The study’s findings and conclusion:
- After considering a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors and overall diet, researchers arrived at the conclusion that study participants who ate at least two servings of avocado each week had a 16 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who never or rarely ate avocados.
- Based on statistical modelling, replacing half a serving daily of margarine, butter, egg, yoghurt, cheese or processed meats such as bacon with the same amount of avocado was associated with a 16 per cent to 22 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease events.
How about eating other heart-healthy products instead of avocados?
Researchers studied that too. They found that substituting half a serving a day of avocado for the equivalent amount of olive oil, nuts and other plant oils showed no additional benefit. Researchers have a suggestion for medical practitioners: “Advise patients to replace certain spreads and saturated fat-containing foods, such as cheese and processed meats, with avocado. This is something physicians and other health care practitioners such as registered dietitians can do when they meet with patients, especially since avocado is a well-accepted food,” Pacheco said.
The study aligns with the American Heart Association’s guidance to follow the Mediterranean diet — a dietary pattern focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, fish and other healthy foods and plant-based fats such as olive, canola, sesame and other non-tropical oils.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health and the Harvard Chan Yerby Fellowship at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.