Avocados and heart attack risk.
A new study suggests that this fruit — known for its healthy fats — may also help you lower your chances of suffering from heart disease.
There are many reasons why avocados may be a plus for your diet:
- Avocados contain good — monounsaturated — fats. I cannot think of another fruit that can make that claim.
- Avocados are free of sugar, sodium, and cholesterol.
- Avocados can give you a nutrient boost, helping you absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
- Avocados deliver lots of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and relatively few calories. There are approximately 80 calories in one-third of a medium-sized avocado.
A new research study provides more evidence that avocado consumption is associated with a lower chance of suffering a heart attack.
Avocados and a lower heart attack risk
Researchers analyzed nearly 70 000 women ages 30 to 55 years. In addition, they studied nearly 42 000 men ages 40 to 75 years in the United States over the last three decades.
The study participants answered food questionnaires for the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Here are the research findings published earlier this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association:
Consuming avocados at least twice weekly appeared to be associated with nearly a one-sixth lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a one-fifth lower chance of being found with coronary heart disease (compared with those who rarely or never ate avocados).
If you are thinking of consuming avocado, a serving size is roughly half an avocado or about one-half of a cup. In the study, avocado (instead of butter, cheese, processed meats, or other foods high in saturated fat) appeared to have a lower chance of heart attack and arrhythmia.
With more than 30 years of follow-up, there did not appear to be protection against stroke risk. The study authors also observed the health benefits of substituting avocados for butter, margarine, and other foods high in saturated fat. There are no health benefits from substituting avocados for nuts, olive oil, or plant oils.
If you want to substitute avocado for foods high in saturated fat, the researchers discovered that a half serving a day (¼ of an avocado) appeared to be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk.
This large study of American women and men showed that higher consumption of avocados is associated with a significantly lower risk of total cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.
Eating avocados did not appear associated with a lower risk of stroke. This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that consuming plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and appear associated with a lower chance of cardiovascular events.
Avocados and heart attack — Some disclosures
A study author collaborated in the Hass Avocado Board–funded trial Effects of Avocado Intake on the Nutritional Status of Families from 2016 to 2019 as a graduate student researcher. The present study was not supported or endorsed by The Hass Avocado Board did not support or endorse the current study. The other study authors reported no other potential conflicts of interest.
While the association is not causality, the available studies suggest that you might want to have that avocado toast. Just skip the mayonnaise.
Thank you for joining me.
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