Avocado benefits

Health benefits of avocados

Apart from being an excellent source of fiber and vitamins, research suggests that there may be a number of other benefits associated with the fruit, including: lowering cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, promoting lower body weight, and preventing cancer.

Avocados may help lower cholesterol

Research suggests that eating avocados could help lower levels of bad cholesterol. A study published in the Archives of Medical Research found that an “avocado enriched diet can improve lipid profile in healthy and especially in mild hypercholesterolemic patients, even if hypertriglyceridemia (combined hyperlipidemia) is present.”⁴

After a week of following the avocado enriched diet the patients experienced a 22% decrease in bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels and an 11% increase in good cholesterol.

Avocados may reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease

Metabolic syndrome is name for a group of symptoms that increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease. One study, published in the Nutrition Journal assessed the link between avocado consumption and metabolic syndrome.⁵

The scientists concluded that “avocado consumption is associated with improved overall diet quality, nutrient intake, and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.”

Avocados may promote a healthy body weight and BMI

The same study (as the one referenced above), titled “Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults”, also found that people who ate avocados were more likely to have a lower body weight, BMI (body mass index), and waist circumference.⁵

Avocados may help prevent cancer

Avocados are rich in phytochemicals, which have been reported to help prevent the development of certain cancers. A team of scientists who examined the the chemopreventive characteristics of avocados concluded that “individual and combinations of phytochemicals from the avocado fruit may offer an advantageous dietary strategy in cancer prevention.”⁶