Eating more than two servings of avocado each week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and replacing certain fat-containing foods such as butter, cheese, and processed meats with avocado reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Become. ..
Avocado contains dietary fiber, unsaturated fats, especially monosaturated fats (healthy fats), and other desirable ingredients related to cardiovascular health. Clinical trials have previously shown that avocado has a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors, including high cholesterol.
Researchers believe this is the first large prospective study to support a positive link between increased avocado consumption and decreased cardiovascular events such as coronary heart disease and stroke.
“Our study provides further evidence that plant-based unsaturated fat intake improves dietary quality and is an important factor in preventing cardiovascular disease,” said Lorena, the lead author of the study. S. Pacheco, Ph.D., MPH, RDN say. She is a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
“These are particularly noteworthy findings, as US Department of Agriculture data show that avocado consumption has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades.”
For 30 years, researchers have followed more than 68,780 women (ages 30-55) from a nurse health survey and more than 41,700 men (ages 40-75) from a follow-up survey of medical professionals.
All study participants lived in the United States without cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke at the beginning of the study. The researchers recorded 9,185 coronary heart disease events and 5,290 strokes during a follow-up period of more than 30 years. Researchers evaluated participants’ diets using a food intake frequency questionnaire given at the beginning of the study and every four years thereafter.
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They calculated avocado intake from questionnaire items that asked about consumption and frequency. One serving was equivalent to half avocado or half avocado cup.
Heart health
Results of analysis:
- After considering a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors and overall diet, study participants who ate at least 2 servings of avocado each week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease. became. Or rarely ate avocado.
- Based on statistical modeling, replacing processed meats such as margarine, butter, eggs, yogurt, cheese, or bacon with the same amount of avocado reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 16% to 22%.
- Replacing equivalent amounts of olive oil, nuts, and other vegetable oils with avocado for a day and a half had no additional benefit.
- No significant association was found between stroke risk and avocado intake.
The results of this study provide additional guidance for healthcare professionals to share. “Replacing foods with certain spreads or saturated fats, such as cheese and processed meats, with avocados is something that other healthcare professionals, such as doctors and registered nutritionists, can do when meeting patients, especially because avocados are healthy. -Accepted food, “said Spreado.
This study is consistent with the American Heart Association’s guidance on following a Mediterranean diet. This is a dietary pattern focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, fish, other health foods, and plant-based fats such as olives, canolas, sesame seeds, and other non-tropical fats. oil.
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“These findings are important because healthy eating patterns are the basis of cardiovascular health, but it can be difficult for many Americans to achieve and adhere to healthy eating patterns.” , MPH, FAHA, Chair Dr. Cheryl Anderson said.American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention Council
Anderson, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, Herbert Wertheim, said: At the University of California, San Diego.
“There are no foods that can be a solution to eating a healthy diet on a daily basis, but this study shows that avocados can help your health. It’s popular and accessible. It is desirable and promising because it is a food that many Americans can easily include in their diet at home or in restaurants. “
This study Journal of the American Heart Association..
