Those who ate at least one avocado per week had a 16 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Eating one avocado a week can cut the risk of heart disease by a fifth, according to new research.
Researchers have found that those who ate two or more servings (defined as half an avocado) per week had a 16 per lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 21 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who did not.
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In addition, they found replacing half a serving per day of margarine, butter, egg, yoghurt, cheese, or processed meats with the equivalent amount of avocado was associated with a 16 per cent to 22 per cent lower risk of CVD.
Dr Lorena Pacheco, lead author from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, US, commented, "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."
Pacheco and her team used data from more than 68,000 women and 41,000 men involved in two long-term studies. The participants were free from cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke at the start of the studies and completed dietary questionnaires every four years for 30 years.
The researchers observed no significant associations between avocado consumption and stroke. They also did not find a difference in risk reduction when a serving of avocado was swapped with an equivalent serving of olive oil, nuts and other plant oils.
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"Although no one food is the solution to routinely eating a healthy diet, this study is evidence that avocados have possible health benefits," said Dr Cheryl Anderson, chair of the American Heart Association's Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.
The study was published in the ‘Journal of the American Heart Association’.
Cover Media/Reuters)