Recent studies show that your party time guacamole is not only be a crowd-pleaser, but is heart-healthy and may replace the apple in the familiar “keep the doctor away” mantra. According to the article published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, eating one avocado per day may be helpful in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Many people have avoided the tropical fruit due to the high fat content but now based on recent reports, have changed their tune and are including them in daily diet. Researchers replaced saturated fatty acids from an average American diet with unsaturated fatty acids from avocados. During the research time frame, forty-five healthy, overweight, or obese patients were placed on three different cholesterol-lowering diets each: a lower fat diet without avocado, a moderate-fat diet without avocado, and a moderate-fat diet with one avocado per day. The diets were administered for five weeks each.
Add Avocados To Your Diet!
Results were in favor of the avocado diet overall. Compared to the base line “Average American” diet, levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, considered the “bad cholesterol”) were 13.5 mg/dL lower after consuming the avocado diet. Other positive laboratory results included lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, small dense LDL, and non-HDL cholesterol.
By replacing the saturated fats in the diet with the unsaturated fats of the avocado, it offsets the negative stigma around calories of the fruit itself. Avocados tend to get a bad reputation, but according to an interview with Bloomberg Business, Kris-Etherton, nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University in State College states, “Even though 200 calories is an appreciable amount, there certainly is room in the U.S. diet for these nutrient-dense foods that are high in calories if Americans take out all those empty calories they are eating.”
A Growing Health Trend in the U.S.
In the United States alone, 1.85 billion pounds of avocados were consumed last year. This is an increase of 10% from 2013, and an almost tripled amount since 2004. Their rise in consumption still doesn’t make these fruits mainstream, however. Many Americans struggle to find a way to incorporate avocado into their diet and reap the benefits of the healthy fats. By reducing cholesterol and replacing harmful saturated fats, the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular damage decreases drastically, not only through lowered cholesterol and saturated fats but by decreasing vascular inflammation as well. Ongoing research continues to show that the effort which goes into reducing cholesterol and fats also reduces vascular inflammation, which may be even more effective at preventing cardiovascular disease.
Avocados are both cholesterol and sodium free, making them a great addition to salads, sandwiches, and toppings on turkey burgers. They can be eaten whole or smashed up as guacamole. Try to avoid eating potato chips as a side to your meal! Chips add a lot of sodium, saturated fat, and calories that counteract the potential benefits that avocados provide.
It may be a challenge to make changes or work with foods that you’ve never prepared before, but avocados do not have to be foreign forever. Working with an avocado is easy and can transform your next meal in a snap.
My Favorite Guacamole Recipe
Making delicious guacomole is easy! Our family loves adding lots of fresh garlic, which is also known for it’s many medicinal benefits.
Ingredients:
- 2 whole, fresh organic avocados
- 4 cloves of fresh organic garlic (minced)
- 1 scoop of your favorite organic (or homemade) salsa
Directions:
Cut each avocado in half, and squeeze out all the green fruit into a bowl. Mince the garlic and add with the salsa into the mix. Stir until smooth. Serve with organic carrot sticks, or the vegetable of your choice. Enjoy!
Follow some of these recipes to create new ways that can bring life to a mundane meal plan, or even add them to a smoothie for some extra delicious green goodness.
Cholesterol and plaque build-up in arteries is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, killing approximately 600,000 Americans each year. This is approximately one in every four deaths! A healthy diet can drastically reduce your risk of heart disease. Avocados may be just the place to start in order to change your diet for a healthy future.
In addition to a heart-healthy diet and exercise program, here’s a natural heart support formula for preventive maintenance which has helped many.
