Eating avocado at least twice a week lowers heart disease risk

By Stephen Beech

Eating avocado at least twice a week lowers the risk of heart disease, according to a new study.

Researchers found that two or more servings of the trendy fruit weekly was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Substituting avocado for certain fat-containing foods - such as cheese, butter or processed meats including bacon - was also linked with a lower risk of developing heart disease, according to the findings published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Avocados contain dietary fiber, unsaturated fats - especially monounsaturated healthy fat - and other components associated with good cardiovascular health.

Clinical trials have previously found that avocados have a "positive" impact on cardiovascular risk factors, including high cholesterol.

Researchers say the new study is the first to support the positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events, such as coronary heart disease.

Study lead author Dr. Lorena Pacheco, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said: “Our study provides further evidence that the intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and is an important component in cardiovascular disease prevention.

“These are particularly notable findings since the consumption of avocados has risen steeply in the United States. in the last 20 years, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.”

The research team followed more than 68,780 women, aged 30 to 55, and more than 41,700 men, aged 40 to 75, for 30 years. All the participants were free of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke at the start of the study and living in the United States.

The researchers documented 9,185 coronary heart disease events and 5,290 strokes during more than 30 years of follow-up.

They assessed the participants’ diet using food frequency questionnaires given at the beginning of the study and then every four years.

They calculated avocado intake from a questionnaire item that asked about the amount consumed and frequency. One serving equalled half an avocado.

The analysis found that, after considering a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors and overall diet, study participants who ate at least two servings of avocado each week had a 16 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who never or rarely ate avocados.

Based on statistical modeling, replacing half a serving daily of margarine, butter, egg, yogurt, cheese or processed meats such as bacon with the same amount of avocado was associated with a 16 percent to 22 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease events.

Substituting half a serving a day of avocado for the equivalent amount of olive oil, nuts and other plant oils showed no additional benefit.

No significant associations were noted in relation to stroke risk and how much avocado was eaten.

The research team said that the results provide additional guidance for health care professionals to share.

Dr. Pacheo said: "Replacing certain spreads and saturated fat-containing foods, such as cheese and processed meats, with avocado is something physicians and other health care practitioners such as registered dietitians, can do when they meet with patients, especially since avocado is a well-accepted food.”

The study aligns with the American Heart Association’s guidance to follow the Mediterranean diet – a dietary pattern focused on fruits, veg, grains, beans, fish and other healthy foods and plant-based fats such as olive, canola, sesame and other non-tropical oils.

Professor Cheryl Anderson, chair of the American Heart Association’s Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, said: "These findings are significant because a healthy dietary pattern is the cornerstone for cardiovascular health."

She added: “We desperately need strategies to improve intake of AHA-recommended healthy diets - such as the Mediterranean diet - that are rich in vegetables and fruits.

“Although no one food is the solution to routinely eating a healthy diet, this study is evidence that avocados have possible health benefits.

"This is promising because it is a food item that is popular, accessible, desirable and easy to include in meals eaten by many at home and in restaurants.”