If you love avocados, here is some news that will be sure to please: eating two servings of avocado each week can lower your risk of heart disease, according to research recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Money Talks News’ recent article entitled “Eating This Food Can Sharply Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease” says that, in addition, eating health avocados instead of fatty foods like butter, cheese or processed meats results in a lower risk of cardiovascular events, like coronary heart disease and stroke.
Previous research also has found that avocados can reduce cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol.
Avocados are native to Mexico and Central America. However, they’re grown in many parts of the world, including North America. In the U.S., California is the top producer of avocados and is home to more than 5,000 avocado farms, which generate over 400 million pounds of avocados each year.
Avocados are an important part of traditional Mexican, Central American and South American cuisine. They’re used in dishes like guacamole, salads and tacos.
The AHA says the latest study is believed to be the “first, large, prospective study to support the positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events.”
To reach their findings, researchers looked at 30 years of dietary data from more than 68,000 women ages 30 to 55, and more than 41,000 men ages 40 to 75. Among other things, the researchers found that those who ate at least two servings of avocado each week had a 16% lower risk of heart disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease than those eating fewer avocados.
Substituting half a serving daily of several types of food — butter, cheese, egg, margarine, yogurt or processed meats, such as bacon — with an equivalent amount of avocado lowered the risk of cardiovascular events by 16% to 22%.
Avocados are terrific sources of both fiber and monounsaturated fats, which are often characterized as “healthy fats.”
The researchers also said that U.S. government data shows that avocado consumption has risen sharply in the U.S. over the past 20 years.
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Reference: Money Talks News (May 23, 2002) “Eating This Food Can Sharply Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease”