- Diet is an essential component of health, and eating a varied diet can help with well-being and quality of life.
- Avocados can be part of a healthy diet and can provide people with some useful nutrients.
- A new study found that eating an avocado a day did not contribute to weight gain, may lower bad cholesterol levels and increase diet quality.
The latest food trends and diets are constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up. Some experts are now tailoring their research to the health benefits of specific foods. One of these foods is avocado.
a recent to study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association evaluated the impact of eating an avocado a day compared to a usual diet.
Although the researchers did not find much difference between the control and intervention groups, they did find that participants who ate an avocado daily had lower levels of bad cholesterol and improved the quality of their diet.
It is also important to note that the Hass Avocado Board funded the research.
people can get cholesterol from food, but the body also makes cholesterol. exist two main types cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Keeping cholesterol levels, particularly LDL levels (sometimes called “bad” cholesterol), below a certain amount is essential to prevent adverse health outcomes such as stroke or coronary artery disease.
nutrition expert dr brian powerwho was not involved in the study, explained to Today’s medical news how blood cholesterol levels and heart health are connected.
“Convincing evidence from studies paints a picture that blood cholesterol levels are important for heart health. Elevated levels are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease.”
— Dr Brian Power
Research is being done on what factors influence cholesterol levels and how people can modify their diets to keep cholesterol at healthy levels and improve their overall diet. One area of interest is how specific foods affect health.
For example, eating avocados can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Avocados also contain several helpful vitamins like vitamin C and K, and are a good source of fiber.
The study in question was a randomized trial and examined the health benefits of eating an avocado a day for six months. The researchers wanted to see if eating an avocado every day helped people reduce visceral adiposity in participants with a high waist circumference (“a waist circumference of ≥35 inches for women and ≥40 inches for men”).
They also looked at the impact on various other health outcomes, including cholesterol levels, body weight, body mass index, and health-related quality of life.
To be included in the study, participants had to have a high waist circumference and regularly consume two or fewer avocados per month. The intervention group (505 participants) consumed one avocado per day, while the control group (503 participants) continued with their usual diet. The researchers collected data on dietary intake at the start of the study and at 8, 16 and 26 weeks and used MRI scans to look at levels of visceral adipose tissue, or body fat lining the abdominal organs.
The researchers found that there were not many significant differences between the control and intervention groups. The exception was in cholesterol levels. The intervention group had lower levels of total cholesterol and lower levels of “bad” cholesterol.
There were also slight differences in diet between the two groups, with the intervention group having higher scores on the Healthy Eating Index. The intervention group ate higher levels of fiber and fat and lower levels of carbohydrates and protein.
In addition, the researchers also found no significant difference between the groups in weight gain, indicating that adding a daily avocado did not contribute to weight gain.
study author Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein noted that adding superfoods or healthy foods to the diet did not necessarily translate into significant health benefits.
“The study found that simply adding a ‘healthy food’ in terms of fats and nutrients, in this case an avocado, to the diet did not result in clinical benefit. However, there were no negative effects, and it was associated with a benefit, an improvement [in] overall quality of the diet.
— Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein
This study has some limitations. For example, the researchers did not collect data on the participants’ medications. Second, the participants were only followed for six months, and a longer period of time might have yielded different results, particularly in terms of visceral adipose tissue.
The researchers also conducted the study during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected the lives of the participants. They had a high rate of participant retention, but not everyone who started the study completed it. Some of the data collection, such as diet, was based on participant reports, so there is a risk of errors.
Dr. Power noted that the study is a reminder that there is no single “fixed” food when it comes to a healthy diet.
“[The study’s] The important message is that focusing on individual foods is not a substitute for maintaining healthy dietary patterns as a whole. That said, regardless of any modest benefits on cholesterol, anything that encourages people to consume more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall balanced diet is welcome.”
— Dr Brian Power
