To some extent cholesterol plays a fundamental role in the body's functions by supporting the optimal functioning of several important organs; However, due to poor diet, its quantity increases to quite dangerous levels.
One of the most worrying things is that, as with other types of diseases, at first it can be a little difficult to detect due to the lack of specific symptoms; it is believed that millions of people are suffering from it without even suspecting its presence.
The good news is that thanks to various research, we now know that changes in diet and adopting a healthy lifestyle may be the best solution to keep it under control and reduce the risks it represents.
Regarding this, research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that consuming one avocado a day could keep bad cholesterol levels at bay in overweight or obese people.
The proposal of the researchers from Pennsylvania State University (United States) consisted of replacing the saturated fatty acids, present in most diets, with the unsaturated ones contained in avocados.
They took into account that for some years it has been advised to consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases due to high cholesterol.
Saturated fats are what raise the levels of this lipid in the blood, and increase the risk of arterial blockage and the appearance of lethal diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
Specifically, the researchers evaluated the effects of avocado on cardiovascular risk factors, taking into account that it is one of the fruits with the highest amounts of unsaturated fatty acids.
To obtain results, they replaced saturated fats in the diet of 45 healthy, overweight and obese patients, aged between 21 and 70 years.
The volunteers began by eating a diet high in saturated fats for two weeks.
Subsequently, they made three types of diets, reducing the amount of saturated ones:
- A low fat one without avocado.
- Another moderate fat one without avocado.
- A moderate fat diet, but with the intake of one avocado daily.
At the end of the analysis period, the scientists determined that LDL cholesterol levels decreased by incorporating one avocado a day into the diet.
In total, a reduction of 13.5 mg/dl was found, compared to the 8.3 mg/dl lost in the moderate-fat diet without avocado, or 7.4 mg/dl in the low-fat diet.
In addition, it was also found that its intake has a positive effect on the control of total cholesterol and triglycerides.
After learning of the surprising results, the researchers emphasized that more research is required to determine whether its effects are the same in other populations.
They show that the unsaturated fats in avocados can lead to a heart-healthy diet, obviously if supported with foods with high nutritional value.
The healthy fats, micronutrients and bioactive components they contain would be responsible for these important benefits for the cardiovascular system.
Penny Kris Etherton, one of the researchers, said that she would like to continue researching to more accurately examine the bioactive compounds in avocados and their effects on the body.
Although for many years they had a bad reputation for their caloric content and high fat content, today avocados are considered one of the most complete and healthy foods that can be incorporated into the diet daily, always in moderate quantities.
In addition to the beneficial fats already mentioned, this popular fruit also provides fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B, folic acid and more than twice the potassium that bananas contain.
Are you afraid of high cholesterol? Make some changes to your diet and start eating a piece of avocado a day right now to keep it at bay.
Share this valuable information :)
