They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away; but new research says that it might actually be avocado that is going to keep you from those doctor visits. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University recently published a new study for the Journal of the American Heart Association stating that diets high in avocado show significant decreases in LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol).
Effect of a Moderate Fat Diet With and Without Avocados on Lipoprotein Particle Number, Size and Subclasses in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial was published on January 7, 2015, and it was sponsored by a grant from the Hass Avocado Board. The rationale for this study is that avocados are high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and researchers wanted to find out whether the MUFAs from avocado were any more effective than those found in other foods. This study was a randomized, cross-over controlled feeding trial conducted with 45 overweight or obese participants with a baseline LDL-C in the 25th to 90th percentile. Three different cholesterol lowering diets were administered that were similar in macronutrient content except one was substituted with avocado for the for fatty acid intake and the others consumed high oleic acid oils.
This research showed that there is a significant difference in the decrease of LDL levels on those who ate avocado, compared to those who ate almost identical diets without the avocado a day. This was especially true for small, dense LDL particles. The avocado containing diets decreased LDL by almost double versus the low fat and moderate fat diets that did not include avocado. This study concludes that an avocado a day in addition to a moderate fat, cholesterol lowering diet will increase cardiovascular diet and decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Of course with every study there are limitations; this research while being funded by the Hass Avocado Board, the researcher Dr. Kris-Etherton is also a member of the Avocado Nutrition Science Advisory. This does not necessarily discredit the research however, in an interview with NPR Dr. Kris-Etherton told them that if the research showed that there was no positive findings on the behalf of the avocado diet that she would "absolutely" still publish the results.
To read more of her interview with NPR go here ->
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/01/07/375...
To see the full published study visit the Journal for American Heart Association ->
http://m.jaha.ahajournals.org/content/4/1/e001355....
So now that we know eating an avocado a day can increase our cardiovascular function significantly, how in the world do we go about eating a whole avocado, every day? Here I've gathered some of my favorite ideas for you all!
Breakfast:
Cut an avocado in half, crack an egg in the middle and bake it in the oven for a high fat/protein breakfast that is guaranteed to keep you going all day.
Smear half of an avocado on whole grain toast.
Substitute pureed avocado in your pancake or waffle recipe instead of butter!
Egg whites, avocado, mozzarella, and tomato on a whole grain english muffin for delicious breakfast sandwich substitute!
Lunch:
Egg salad with a twist- non-fat, plain, greek yogurt and avocado puree instead of mayo!
Avocado chicken salad- chicken breast, avocado and some mustard!
Tuna melt with avocado-whole grain bread, avocado slices. Serve in a lettuce wrap if you're watching your carb intake!
Fresh avocados, tahini, green peas, and cucumber make for a beautiful refreshing soup! Add lemon and mint for a little pizazz!
Dinner:
Avocado makes for a great pasta sauce, add olive oil, parmesan, garlic, basil, and lemon; you get a green version of alfredo sauce!
Chicken avocado enchiladas- with peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and onions. Avocado goes great with most South American style dishes.
Avocados and burgers are also a great combo! Just add a half of an avocado sliced (or mashed on the bun!) onto your favorite burger recipe. Substitute turkey or black bean burgers for a heart healthy twist.
ALT-Avocado, lettuce, tomato. A vegan twist on the traditional BLT. Add some mozzarella cheese or balsamic vinegar to spice it up!
