A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that just two servings of avocado a week resulted in a 21 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, and highlighted that avocados are an effective and healthy replacement of traditional dietary fats.
The study, entitled “Avocado Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults” studied the relationship between avocado intake and long term cardiovascular diseases (CVD), an area which its authors said is lacking.
The study included 68,786 women from the NHS (Nurses’ Health Study) and 41, 701 men from the HPFS (Health Professionals Follow‐up Study; 1986–2016) who were free of cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke, documenting cases of heart disease over the course of 30 years, and detailed the health benefits of avocados in its findings.
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In addition to looking at the overall impact of eating avocados, researchers found consuming half a serving of avocado (¼ cup) a day instead of the same amount of eggs, yogurt, cheese, margarine, butter or processed meats lowered the risk of heart disease by 16 percent to 22 percent, another item in the list of health benefits of avocados.
Moreover ,according to Migue Barcenas, strategy and marketing consultant for the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico (APEAM) the study also highlighted a contradiction between public understanding of avocados and their fat content.
''It may come as a surprise to learn that fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. After all, haven't consumers heard that avocados are high in calories and fat? Popular belief is that low-fat diets are important for heart health, and that's not entirely untrue. But low-fat is not the same as no-fat'', he said.
When health experts talk about "good fats" and "bad fats" they aren't judging your snack habits. Good fats, which are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, help nourish your body. In fact, Canada's food guide explains the importance of limiting intakes of saturated fat to support healthy dietary patterns. One-third of a medium avocado offers 5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat in every 50-gram serving, The APEAM said in a statement on the study.
