Add An Avocado Lower Your Cholesterol
Just an avocado a day can significantly lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, a new study shows.
Avocados are rich in so-called healthy fats and other nutrients and the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows the creamy fruit can work within weeks to lower cholesterol.
Just like olive oil and nuts, avocados have plaque-busting monounsaturated fatty acids, and the effects seem similar to all the benefits from a Mediterranean diet, the researchers said.
And its one more piece of evidence in favor of adding good fats to the diet.
In the past, we used to substitute carbohydrate for saturated fat, and that would result in a low-fat diet, said Penny Kris-Etherton, chair of the American Heart Associations Nutrition Committee and distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.
Now were seeing that its better for people to have good fats in their diet at the expense of saturated fat. And so the current message is to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat, and in so doing, consume a moderate-fat diet, not too much, and also not too little, Kris-Etherton told NBC News.
Kris-Etherton and colleagues did an intensive study with 45 typical Americans all overweight or obese, but with healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Everyone spent five weeks on each diet. No one lost weight, but their low-density lipoprotein levels changed.
Erika Edwards contributed to this story
Can Avocados Lower Cholesterol Then
This is another popular question, and kind of the opposite of what we discussed above. Here people are recognizing the health benefits of avocado, and wanting to know if it can actually help to lower LDL or raise HDL. Lets take a closer look at that
As it turns out, according to WebMd, avocados can actually help lower your cholesterol.
In fact, there was a small study conducted with three different test groups, one on a low fat diet with no avocado, one with a moderate fat diet and no avocado and one with a moderate fat diet with an avocado each day.
Guess which group has the lowest cholesterol levels after five weeks? Yes, youve guessed itgroup number three on the moderate diet with avocado.
Although this study only included 45 individuals, and there could have been other factors at play, its safe to assume that the avocado is good for cholesterol. This is likely due to the fact that it has not only a high concentration of heart-friendly monounsaturated fats, not to be confused with trans fats, but also important compounds called phytosterols, beta-sitosterol in particular.
This one-two punch of monounsaturated fat and beta-sitosterol can help raise HDL and lower LDL, and also reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from the food that you eat. Its interesting to note that there are cholesterol medications that do this as well, i.e lower the production of LDL as well as limit the absorption, but the downside is all of the potential side effects that come with it.
What Type Of Cholesterol Do Avocados Contain
Answer
Avocados are considered a higher fat fruit however they contain mostly healthy fats, are cholesterol free and high in vitamins and minerals as well. One whole California avocado averages 20 grams of fat, but the fat is mostly monounsaturated and the remainder is about 2g of polyunsaturated and saturated fat each. Monounsaturated fats are important for heart health. LDLs and HDLs are made by your body based on the foods you eat they are not in the food themselves. The suggested serving size is only about 1/5 of an avocado. That is only 4 grams of healthy fat per serving! Avocados are very versatile, try them in Avocado and Blueberry Fruit Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad w/Avocado, or visit our recipe page for more ideas.
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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:
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.
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How Is Cholesterol Measured
Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms. The best way to find out if your cholesterol is high is to have a blood test .
Visit your GP to determine whether you need to lower your cholesterol level and what action to take.
GPs can also do a heart health check, that calculates your heart disease and stroke risk.
Avocados Are Nutrient Powerhouses
Avocados are on many short lists of superfoods because they are packed with vitamins and nutrients. Here is a list of some of what they contain, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
One of the problems with avocados is that they are high in fat. However, the fat source is healthy, as it is mainly comprised of monounsaturated fats. Fat consumption is essential to any conversation about heart health. Some fats are quite good for us and improve our heart health. Other fats can cause cholesterol levels to rise, increase body inflammatory markers, and raise risks of coronary atherosclerosis and heart attack.
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Healthy Eating Tips To Lower Cholesterol
As well as sticking to a varied and healthy diet, try these tips to help you manage your cholesterol:
- Limit takeaway foods to once a week .
- Limit salty, fatty and sugary snack foods to once a week .
- Eat plenty of vegetables aim for 5 serves of vegetables every day. .
- Choose wholegrain breads, cereal, pasta, rice and noodles.
- Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit .
- Include legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas), beans into at least two meals a week. Check food labels and choose the lowest sodium products.
- Use spreads and margarines made from healthy unsaturated fats instead of those made with saturated fat .
- Use healthy oils for cooking some include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive , sesame and peanut oils.
- Use salad dressings and mayonnaise made from oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean, olive , sesame and peanut oils.
- Include 2 or 3 serves of plant-sterol-enriched foods every day .
- Have 2 to 3 portions of oily fish every week. Fish may be fresh, frozen or canned.
- Include up to 7 eggs every week.
- Select lean meat and limit unprocessed red meat to less than 350g per week.
- Choose reduced fat, no added sugar milk, yoghurt, or calcium-added non-dairy food and drinks.
- Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and deli meats .
If you are having trouble with your cholesterol levels, a dietitian can help you to eat healthily for your specific needs.
Understanding The Cholesterol Ratio
Do you know your cholesterol level? You should, because a high cholesterol level increases your risk for heart disease. Also, more women than men in the United States experience high cholesterol levels. You body naturally produces some cholesterol, but the foods you eat contain cholesterol and saturated fats that add to your levels. Only foods derived from animals contain cholesterol. Avocados contain no cholesterol and very little saturated fat therefore avocados do not cause high cholesterol.
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Is Avocado Good For Lowering Cholesterol
So is avocado good for cholesterol? Rather than focusing on one food, the trick is to make small sustainable changes to your diet overall. Swapping high saturated fat foods with unsaturated fat foods is the way to go: try eating less foods such as butter, cream, full fat dairy products, biscuits, fatty meats and cake and opt for oily fish e.g.salmon, walnuts, seeds and avocado! One great way to do this is to find easy swaps, so for example why not spread a little avocado on toast rather than butter? Or why not try instead one of Flora ProActivs spreads* proven to help lower cholesterol as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
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Egg White Omelet With Sauted Vegetables
Eggs have higher cholesterol levels, but all of it is found in the yolk. That’s because egg yolks are higher in saturated fatty acids, which have a greater effect on your blood cholesterol levels if you consume too many of them, according to Harvard Health.
If you love your eggs in the morning, don’t worry, you can still enjoy them: just take the yellow stuff off your plate. As Cardel explains, egg whites are high in protein and low in calories, fat and cholesterol, and serve as a source of potassium, riboflavin, and selenium.
“Cook your omelet in a light spray of olive oil, and toss in some sautéed veggiesmushrooms, spinach, and peppers all taste divine in an omeletfor increasing healthy fats and fiber, which can help improve your cholesterol levels even more,” she says.
Why Avocado Is Not Healthy
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.
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What Is Hdl Cholesterol
High-density lipoprotein is a protective form of cholesterol that carries bad cholesterol away from the arteries and into the liver where it can be broken down and eliminated from the body.
When your HDL is high60 milligrams per deciliter or higheryour risk of heart attack or heart disease is lower. When your HDL is lowfor women less than 50 mg/dl, for men less than 40 mg/dlyour chances of having a heart attack or heart disease are increased.
Here are several types of foods you should consider eating more often to raise your HDL and lower your LDL.
What Do Avocados Do To Your Cholesterol
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on August 3, 2021
Can guacamole lower your cholesterol as well as other whole-food fat sources like nuts, or is that just spin by the avocado industry?
Avocados are the richest known fruit source of phytosterols, the cholesterol-lowering nutrients found in plant foods, brags a review sponsored by the HASS Avocado Board. The operative word, though, is fruit.
Yes, avocados contain more phytosterols compared to other fruit, but phytosterols are fat-soluble substances. Most other fruits hardly have any fat in them at all, so avocados will obviously come out on top compared to other fruit. What if you compare phytosterol content of avocados to nuts and seeds, though? One avocado has about 100 milligrams of phytosterols. On the same scale, sesame seeds and tahini have 400 milligrams pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds have about 300 almonds, almond butter, flaxseeds, and macadamia nuts have around 200 and even chocolate has about twice as many phytosterols as avocados, as you can see at 0:51 in my video Are Avocados Good for Your Cholesterol.
So, yes, the avocado industry is right in saying that avocados are a healthy substitute for butter / margarine, cheese, cream cheese, but thats a pretty low bar.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What about adding avocado to a plant-based diet? Would there be any benefit then? Learn more:
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Myth #: Your Cholesterol Should Be As Low As Possible
As with almost everything in health and wellness, there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. There are very few extremes that are going to serve you well.
People with too-low levels of cholesterol may have increased risk of death from other non-heart-related issues, like certain types of cancers, as well as suicide.
We commonly hear that a high level of LDL in blood increases risk of plaque formation inside arteries – raising risk of a heart attack. Conversely, the lower the LDL level, the lower the risk of heart attack.
This is a simplistic and incomplete picture.
Its not just the total amount of LDL cholesterol that should be of concern, but also the type and size of the LDL particle. Research indicates that those whose LDL particles are predominantly small and dense, have a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas the large and fluffy type of LDL may actually be protective.
Its a similar story with HDL cholesterol. Commonly perceived as the good type, HDL cholesterol acts like a scavenger, and removes harmful LDL cholesterol, by transporting it to the liver for processing. But were finding out, that the size of the HDL particle is of significance as well. This research indicates that women who had larger HDL particles had a higher risk of atherosclerosis, versus those who had smaller HDL particles.
Size really matters when it comes to cholesterol.
Does Avocado Have Cholesterol Or No
Despite what you might have read, there are ZERO mg of cholesterol in an avocado. I repeat, the avocado has no cholesterol. So when someone ask you how much cholesterol in avocado, now you know the answer definitively.
As a side note, even if it did contain a high level of cholesterol, like the shrimp for example, it doesnt mean it will cause your levels to go up at all. It doesnt work like that. But thats another story.
So even if you are trying to avoid foods high in cholesterol, which it doesnt really make too much sense to do, you dont have to worry about eating avocados.
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Myth #: Cholesterol Is Cholesterol
While cholesterol is an actual molecule, what it is bound to, while its floating through your blood is whats more important than just how much of it there is overall. In fact, depending on what its combined with can have opposite effects on your arteries and heart. Yes, opposite!
So cholesterol is just one component of a compound that floats around your blood. These compounds contain cholesterol as well as fats and special proteins called lipoproteins.
Theyre grouped into two main categories:
- HDL: High Density Lipoprotein that cleans up some of those infamous arterial plaques and transports cholesterol back to the liver.
- LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein that transports cholesterol from the liver .
And yes, it is even more complicated than this. Each of these categories is further broken down into subcategories which can also be measured in a blood test.
So cholesterol isnt simply cholesterol because it has very different effects on your body depending on which other molecules its bound to in your blood, as well as their size and type and what it is actually doing there.
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How Does Eating Avocados Affect Cholesterol
Avocados, cholesterol & healthy subjectsSo much for the heart-healthy effects of low-fat dietsharmfulAvocados and people with high cholesterol
“Low-fat, carbohydrate-rich vegetarian diets may be harmful to hypercholesterolemic patients. The avocado addition to a vegetarian diet does not correct these undesirable effects. To obtain beneficial effects on lipid profile with avocado, lower amounts of carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids are probably needed.”
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