Saturday, March 23, 2024
HomeMust ReadAre Avocados Bad For Cholesterol

Are Avocados Bad For Cholesterol

Avocados Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Avocados Reduce Bad Cholesterol, Triglycerides, & Heart Disease (IMPORTANT) – Dr Alan Mandell, DC

73.5 million adults in the United States have high levels of bad cholesterol , doubling their risk for heart disease. Eating avocados is one of the simplest ways to fight or reduce this risk. Numerous studies have shown that eating avocado can improve heart disease risk factors by lowering your overall cholesterol level while increasing your good cholesterol , as well as lowering blood triglycerides.

The Effect Of Avocados On Small Dense Ldl Cholesterol

What are the effects of oatmeal, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, and avocados on LDL cholesterol size?

When a headline reads Avocados could improve your cholesteroland more, the article and others like it are largely talking about substitution experiments, where avocado is added to the diet as a replacement for animal fats. In that case, its no wonder cholesterol goes down. Dairy and poultry are the two greatest contributors of cholesterol-raising saturated fat intake, so if you take people eating a standard North American diet including animal fats, they may start out with an LDL cholesterol level up around 95mg/dl. If you add avocado to their diet without doing anything else, their cholesterol does not go down instead, it may go up to around 105mg/dl. If you add avocado while reducing saturated fat intake, though, cholesterol falls to about 90mg/dlbut that drop isnt very different from what youd get by just reducing saturated fat and adding nothing, which was shown to give an LDL under 90mg/dl, as you can see at 0:34 in my video Avocados Lower Small Dense LDL Cholesterol.

As Ive touched on before, all LDL cholesterol is bad cholesterol. However, large, fluffy LDL may only increase the odds of cardiac events such as heart attacks by 31 percent, whereas small, dense LDL is even worse and increases the odds by 44 percent.

What happened?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

And, if you love avocados as much as I do, you may be interested in:

Eating Avocados May Make Bad Cholesterol Levels Take A Dip

For those who worry about bad cholesterol levels, make sure to grab some avocados the next time youre in the grocery store.

Eating avocados may be a way to tackle high cholesterol.

Researchers found that eating an avocado every day as part of a heart healthy, cholesterol-lowering moderate-fat diet can actually improve bad cholesterol levels for people who are overweight or obese.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that people on a moderate-fat diet who ate an avocado every day had lower bad cholesterol than than those on a similar diet who didnt eat an avocado a day or were on a lower-fat diet.

This doesnt mean everyone should break out the chips and guacamole.

Corn chips are high in calories and sodium. A better way to eat avocados is to put them in salads and sandwiches and eat them with chicken or fish lean protein foods.

Researchers used Hass avocados in their study. They tested the effect avocados had on traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors by replacing saturated fatty acids from an average American diet with unsaturated fatty acids from avocados.

People in the study followed three different cholesterol-lowering diets. The results found that those who ate an avocado every day and followed a moderate fat diet had the biggest drop 13.5 mg/dL in low-density lipoprotein, also called bad cholesterol.

You May Like: Are Egg Beaters Low In Cholesterol

Why Are Avocados Not Good For You

Over the past six months avocados have become good for almost everyone, because its been a dry six months and avocados contain a lot of moisture, Niazov says. However, she adds, theyre not suitable at all for cancer patients, because the avocados moisture comes from a very fatty and heavy source.

Are Avocados Good For You If You Have High Cholesterol

A daily avocado can lower bad cholesterol

People often picture cholesterol as fatty deposits in their bodies, a harmful substance that can increase the risks of a variety of health troubles, including heart attacks or strokes. True that the elevated cholesterol levels are a bad news.

Millions of individuals, including children, adults and aged have unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Then why should you ask yourself that Are avocados good for you if you have high cholesterol?. Check it out!

More…

Don’t Miss: How Much Cholesterol In Pork Chops

Avocados And Good Heart Health

Eating healthy foods as a part of a balanced diet and getting regular exercise can allow you to enjoy good heart health.

For example, dietary fat is a type of nutrient that can help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamins A, D, K and E. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a diet plan that substitutes good fats in place of bad, within moderation, to receive the nutrient benefits of dietary fat without raising LDL cholesterol. In this case, a serving of avocado, which contributes good fats and has no cholesterol, could be a heart-healthy option for aiding absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins in your diet. While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this disease.

Similarly, avocados contribute 6% of the daily value for potassium. When eaten in the right amounts, potassium is a type of electrolyte that helps nerves to function and muscles to contract while also helping to regulate ones heartbeat. A diet rich in potassium helps to offset some of the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure. Healthy avocados contribute 254 mg of potassium per 50g serving .

While avocados may not contain cholesterol, the nearly 20 vitamins and minerals they do feature make them a healthy nutrient-rich choice. By eating balanced diet with a variety of nutritious foods and maintaining an active lifestyle, you can enhance your health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Does Aspirin Reduce Plaque In Arteries

Aspirins Proven Benefit When arteries are already narrowed by the buildup of plaque, a clot can block a blood vessel and stop the flow of blood to the brain or heart. Taking a regular dose of aspirin diminishes the ability of your blood to clump together into clots by targeting the bodys smallest blood cells.

Don’t Miss: Are Mussels High In Cholesterol

Good Cholesterol And Bad Cholesterol: Whats The Difference

There are two types of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein and High-density lipoprotein . LDL cholesterol is considered to be bad for your body because it carries cholesterol to your tissues such as arteries.

If there is too much cholesterol in your blood, the excess may get trapped in your artery walls. As this builds up it is called plaque and can narrow your blood vessels. This process can happen to blood vessels anywhere in your body. If it happens to the blood vessels bringing blood to the heart, which are called coronary arteries, it may prevent the blood from bringing enough oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Additionally, cholesterol may build up to become plaque, which can burst when unstable and then cause a blood clot to form, leading to a heart attack.

In contrast, HDL cholesterol moves freely through the bloodstream and doesnt gather against the blood vessel walls. Instead, it tries to remove LDL cholesterol, brings structure to your cell walls, and reduces your risk of heart disease. Without HDL cholesterol, each cell in your body will struggle to function.

What Is The Healthiest Fast Food

Avocados Lower Bad Cholesterol

10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve Healthy Foods Chipotle. Chipotle Mexican Grill is a restaurant chain that specializes in foods like tacos and burritos. Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A is a fast-food restaurant that specializes in chicken sandwiches. Wendys. McDonalds. Ruby Tuesday. The Cheesecake Factory. KFC. Subway.

Also Check: Is Shrimp Bad For Your Cholesterol

Bad Fats And High Cholesterol

People who have high cholesterol levels tend to rely on a few simple options. First, weight loss and changing to a healthier, fiber-rich diet. I dedicated a prior column to the past 50 years of heart-healthy diets.

The next step typically is adding a medication called a statin . These drugs have been shown to lower cholesterol, heart attack risk, stroke risk, and in people with high cholesterol or body inflammation improve mortality. They are a go-to drug in the tool chest of all cardiologists. Unfortunately, statins do have side effects. The most common is generalized muscle and joint pain. This can be disabling to some people, including some in my family. Rarely, this pain is from a severe inflammatory muscle injury called myositis. Fortunately, for most people the symptoms are not a reflection of actual muscle and joint injury.

For people with high cholesterol who cannot take a statin, there are a few other drug options, such as Zetia . However, these medications are not equivalent to statins in regard to their ability to reduce cholesterol and lower heart disease risk.

Foods That Lower Cholesterol

A persons diet plays a crucial role in how healthy their cholesterol levels are. Eating foods that keep cholesterol within a healthy range can help prevent health issues, including a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that travels through the bloodstream as a part of two different lipoproteins: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein .

People sometimes refer to LDL cholesterol as bad cholesterol because it causes fatty deposits to build up in the blood vessels. These deposits can block blood flow and cause heart attacks or strokes.

HDL, or good, cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from the body through the liver. High levels of HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart problems and strokes.

Recommended Reading: Baked Potato Cholesterol

The Avocado Effect On High Cholesterol

Where do avocados come in? A small study in the Journal of the American Heart Association provides evidence of potent cholesterol-lowering benefits from avocados. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, healthy fats that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol associated with coronary atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Could eating avocados be part of a cholesterol-lowering strategy in people with high cholesterol and at risk for heart disease?

Researchers studied 45 people who were considered overweight to obese and had high cholesterol. The participants were treated with three diets thought to be helpful in reducing cholesterol:

  • A general low-fat diet containing 24 percent of calories from fat.
  • A moderate-fat diet of 34 percent fat that included one fresh avocado per day .
  • A moderate-fat diet with 34 percent fat, but that used high-oleic acid oils to match that fatty acids provided by the avocado like olives, for example.

The researchers used the second moderate-fat diet to determine whether a supplement that contains an extract of what we believe makes avocado heart-healthy would be as effective as avocado itself. Participants were on each diet for five weeks. They would then go back to their usual routine for two weeks before starting the next diet. The order in which they tried each diet was randomized.

The effect of the diets on different types of cholesterol were quite interesting and encouraging:

See More

An Avocado A Day May Keep Cholesterol At Bay

An avocado a day could lower

Adding an avocado a day to a healthy diet may lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Forty-five overweight or obese volunteers followed three different cholesterol-lowering diets, each for five weeks. One diet had 24% of calories from fat the other two were 34% fat, one of which included an avocado per day. While participants were on the avocado diet, their LDL levels dropped an average of 13.5 pointsnearly twice as much as when they were on the other two diets.

Hass avocados have bumpy, greenish-black skin. The creamy flesh is rich in monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL cholesterol when swapped for saturated fat. But other compounds in avocados, such as fiber and plant sterols, may also contribute to their healthful benefits, say the authors. Avocados can be sliced into salads, spread on sandwiches, or mashed to make guacamole. Just be sure to go easy on the high-calorie, salty corn chips often served with the latter.

To continue reading this article, you must log in.

  • Research health conditions
  • Prepare for a doctor’s visit or test
  • Find the best treatments and procedures for you
  • Explore options for better nutrition and exercise

Also Check: Cholesterol In Pork Chop

Eating Avocado Promotes Healthy Cholesterol Levels

by Ryan McCaffery | Last updated August 7, 2018 |

Avocado has no cholesterol

Does an avocado have cholesterol, and if so, how much? How does avocado affect both HDL and LDL cholesterol levels in the body? In order to answer these questions, lets take a look at some of the facts about avocado cholesterol.

An Avocado A Day Could Keep Ldl At Bay

In the new study, researchers found that consuming one avocado daily was linked to lower LDL levels.

It’s worth noting that the sample size was small the conclusion was drawn following a randomized, controlled trial of 45 overweight and obese people.

For two weeks, they all followed a similar diet designed to reflect that of the average American.

The participants were then randomly split into three groups for five weeks: A third would eat a low-fat diet, a further third would consume a moderate-fat diet, and the final third would follow a moderate-fat diet which incorporated a daily avocado.

The fat levels of those in the middle third was then compared to the level in the daily avocado group.

The researchers found that not only did those who ate the daily avocado have lower LDL levels than before the study, they also had lower levels than the rest of the participants.

Recommended Reading: Is Banana Good For High Cholesterol

Does The Avocado Have Any Other Heart Benefits

Absolutely. Note that the avocado contains a lot of fat, but its good fat. Thats important to understand. It contains a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, found in olive oil as well, which is an excellent anti-inflammatory. Fighting inflammation in your heart or anywhere else in your body is an important component of good health.

Avocados can also lower triglyceride levels, another risk factor for heart disease and stroke along with high cholesterol.

They also contain a host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help fight off free radicals, precursors to a variety of health conditions. They can help give you a sense of fullness, which minimizes your risk of being overweightthis in turn benefits your heart as it doesnt have to work as hard.

Specific nutrients like potassium and lutein can help stabilize blood pressure, helping you avoid hypertension, another precursor to heart disease.

Avocados Use A Ton Of Water

What Happens to Your Cholesterol if You Eat Avocado

The avocados biggest problem is the amount of water it consumes. According to Youmatter, avocado plantations put an incredible degree of pressure on a regions water supply. The World Economic Forum reports that around 9.5 billion liters of water are used every day in order to grow avocados. For scale, thats about 3,800 Olympic pools-worth of water.

Considering that avos are often grown in areas that are prone to drought, the simple act of growing avocados could wind up depriving entire communities of the life-giving water they need to survive. The cost to transport avocados is fairly high in terms of environmental impact as well. Truckloads of these sought-after berries yes, avocados are technically berries pump huge amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere as they wend their way across the world.

Recommended Reading: Mussels And Cholesterol

Recommended By The Dash Diet For Heart Health

Over 90% of all Americans will develop hypertension in their lifetime. But avocados can help you avoid being included in that statistic. Avocados are high in potassium and low in salt. Because of this they are recognized for their ability to lower blood pressure and protect against âªâheart attack and stroke. Avocados are also recommended by the DASH Diet.In this post we bring to you several delicious avocado rich recipes. Read on for guacamole, bread and even smoothie heart healthy delights! If you enjoy this and you’re still hungry for more, you can find more blood pressure reducing recipes on Spinach, Quinoa and more on the Hello Heart blog.Amazing Grilled Salmon with Avocado SalsaSuper Fresh Avocado and Mango SaladBest Guacamole EverTerrific Avocanana BreadWonderful Chocolate Avocado SmoothieRejuvenating Avocado Facial MaskSources:

Avocados Help Lower Cholesterol In Some People

Eating one per day as part of a certain heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering diet can help improve “bad” LDLcholesterol levelsin people who are overweight or obese, according to a small study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cholesterol is a type of fat made by the body. Itâs key for good health. But high levels, often caused by an unhealthy diet, can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. Being overweight raises your risk of having high LDL levels.

Avocados are a source of monounsaturated fat, which is good for you when eaten in moderation. They’re also rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, compounds that block cholesterol absorption in the body , and antioxidants that can play a role in preventing cancer and heart disease .

Read Also: Are Potatoes Bad For Cholesterol

One Avocado A Day Helps Lower ‘bad’ Cholesterol For Heart Healthy Benefits

Date:
Penn State
Summary:
New research suggests that eating one avocado a day may help keep ‘bad cholesterol’ at bay. According to the researchers, bad cholesterol can refer to both oxidized low-density lipoprotein and small, dense LDL particles.

Move over, apples — new research from Penn State suggests that eating one avocado a day may help keep “bad cholesterol” at bay.

According to the researchers, bad cholesterol can refer to both oxidized low-density lipoprotein and small, dense LDL particles.

In a randomized, controlled feeding study, the researchers found that eating one avocado a day was associated with lower levels of LDL and oxidized LDL in adults with overweight or obesity.

“We were able to show that when people incorporated one avocado a day into their diet, they had fewer small, dense LDL particles than before the diet,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition, who added that small, dense LDL particles are particularly harmful for promoting plaque buildup in the arteries. “Consequently, people should consider adding avocados to their diet in a healthy way, like on whole-wheat toast or as a veggie dip.”

Specifically, the study found that avocados helped reduce LDL particles that had been oxidized. Similar to the way oxygen can damage food — like a cut apple turning brown — the researchers said oxidation is also bad for the human body.

Story Source:

Journal Reference:

Cite This Page:

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular