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There are a lot of reasons to eat blueberries, bananas, and tangerines on a daily basis, but they aren’t the only fruits you should consume. In fact, according to new research, you may want to consume an avocado every day because the tasty and versatile food can help reduce your cholesterol levels.
In a recently released study, 500 people were assigned to eat an avocado every day, while another 500 were not. In addition, those who did not include avocados into their diet on a regular basis were instructed to consume fewer than two avocados every month. When the six-month span was up, it was discovered that individuals who consumed the popular fruit on a daily basis had a better diet and cholesterol levels that had improved.
Although the study was fairly large and participants were divided into groups according to their baseline diets, Dr. Glasser believes that “the findings are solid,” emphasizing the fact that they were randomized and controlled. However, she adds, “The participants in each of these groups also had similar baseline diets, which scored about a ‘50%’ on the Healthy Eating Index.”
However, Glasser points out that “one major limitation of this research was that they didn’t collect data on medicines. During the 6-month trial, they measured everything from supplements and statins to food intake, but didn’t gather information on medicine use. At the same time, their baseline data also utilizes a 24-hour food recall to get information about one’s regular diet, which is less accurate than a food frequency questionnaire because one day isn’t a good indicator of someone’s usual diet.” According to Glasser, “while their food consumption statistics appear to be adequate, it’s more likely that it doesn’t capture things like the milkshake you drank last Friday or the pizza you eat every Friday.”
For how avocados reduce cholesterol, Glasser believes they “increase the rate at which triglyceride-rich lipoproteins start breaking down and by keeping the liver from making more VLDL, which means there is less LDL in your circulation overall.”
Finally, Glasser notes that “it’s not unusual for individuals to drop meals like red meat and cheese, as well as excessive desserts, after being diagnosed with high cholesterol.” She’d want more people to concentrate on healthy foods to include in their diet since this is where the nutrition magic starts for disease prevention.
