Only one avocado per week significantly reduces the risk of heart disease

Dallas, Texas (StudyFinds.org) – Eating one avocado a week can make a noticeable difference in heart health, new studies show. Researchers have found that serving trendy fruits twice a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, replacing certain fat-containing foods, such as processed meats such as cheese, butter, and bacon, with avocado has led to a double-digit reduction in the risk of heart disease.

What is the reason for making avocado a healthy alternative?

Avocado It contains dietary fiber, unsaturated fats, especially one-saturated “healthy” fats, and other ingredients related to cardiovascular health.Clinical trials have previously shown that avocado has a “plus” effect Cardiovascular risk factors..

Researchers say the new study is the first to support a positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events such as coronary heart disease.

“Our study provides further evidence that ingestion of plant-derived unsaturated fats improves dietary quality and is an important factor in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” said Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Lorena Pacheco, the lead author of the research at Harvard University, said. Media release..

“These are particularly noteworthy findings, as US Department of Agriculture data show that avocado consumption has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades.”

Reduce the risk of heart disease by a factor of 5

The research team has followed more than 68,780 women (ages 30-55) and 41,700 men (ages 40-75) in the United States for 30 years. All participants were free of cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke at the start of the study.

Researchers recorded 9,185 coronary heart disease events and 5,290 strokes during a follow-up period of more than 30 years. They evaluated the participants’ diets using a food intake frequency questionnaire given at the beginning of the study and every four years thereafter. The survey included questions asking people specifically about avocado consumption.

For the purposes of this study, researchers considered half of the avocado to be one serving. However, the US Food and Drug Administration states that one serving is only one-third that of a medium-sized avocado (50 grams).

According to the analysis, study participants who ate at least 2 servings of avocado each week after considering a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors and overall diet had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, 21%. Low risk of coronary heart diseaseCompared to people who have never or rarely eaten avocados.

Based on statistical modeling, replacing half a day serving of margarine, butter, eggs, yogurt, cheese, or processed meat with the same amount of avocado reduced the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease events by 16-22%. ..

Substituting half a day with the same amount of avocado as olive oil, nuts, and other vegetable oils had no additional benefit. Researchers also found no significant association between stroke risk and avocado consumption.

Do you support more Mediterranean diets?

Based on these findings, Pacheco said that people “replace foods containing certain spreads such as cheese and processed meats and saturated fats with avocados by other healthcare professionals such as doctors and registered nutritionists with patients. What you can do when you meet, because avocado is a widely accepted food. “

This study is consistent with the guidance of the American Heart Association. Mediterranean diet – Dietary patterns focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, fish and other health foods, and plant-based fats such as olives, rapeseed, sesame and non-tropical oils.

“These findings are important because healthy dietary patterns are the basis of cardiovascular health, but it can be difficult for many Americans to achieve and adhere to healthy dietary patterns.” , Said Professor Cheryl Anderson, chair of the Epidemiological Council of the American Heart Association. And prevention.

“We are in desperate need of strategies to improve the intake of healthy diets recommended by AHA, such as vegetable- and fruit-rich, Mediterranean dishes,” Anderson adds.

“There is no food solution for eating a healthy diet on a daily basis, but this study is based on avocado. Has health benefits.. It is promising because it is a popular, accessible, desirable, and easy-to-include food that many Americans eat at home and in restaurants. “

The study is published at Journal of the American Heart Association..

Southwest News Service writer Stephen Beach contributed to this report.