Adding an avocado a day to a moderate fat or a low fat diet has been found to reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by as much as 10 percent of the 160 milligram per deciliter value that is considered high. Dr. Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, in University Park, Pennsylvania, and colleagues are the first to prove the cholesterol lowering benefits of the avocado.
The test population included 45 people between the ages of 21 and 70 that were normal weight, over weight, and obese based on present CDC standards. The participants had their cholesterol tested regularly while they consumed their regular diet for two weeks. The group then consumed a low fat diet, a moderate fat diet, or a moderate fat diet with an avocado for two weeks with regular cholesterol monitoring.
The inclusion of an avocado in a person’s diet reduced their total LDL cholesterol by 45 percent more than a diet that did not contain an avocado. Additional benefits of eating an avocado a day included lower total cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and lowering of all “bad cholesterol” types. The researchers note that this is the first study that shows a single food can produce a dramatic change in cholesterol in people of any weight.
The researchers note that avocados are expensive and cannot be found all year long. The study also examined the effect of guacamole on cholesterol and found similar but reduced changes. The phytosterols in avocado are considered to be the agent that reduced cholesterol values.
