What are the different nutrients in avocados?
Avocados are a nutrient-dense fruit that contains dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, monounsaturated fats (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as phytonutrients and bioactive substances that have been linked to cardiovascular health independently. The most popular type in the US (Hass avocado) provides 13 g of oleic acid in a medium-sized fruit (136 g), which is equivalent to the amount of oleic acid in 1.5oz (42 g) of almonds or 2 tablespoons (26 g) of olive oil. Half of an avocado, for example, contains up to 20% of the daily necessary fiber, 10% of the potassium, 5% of the magnesium, and 15% of the folate, as well as 7.5 g of MUFA and 1.5 g of polyunsaturated fatty acid.5, 8 As a result, avocados can be a nutrient-dense component of a nutritious diet.
What are the impacts of avocados on health status?
After controlling for lifestyle and socio-demographic factors such as socioeconomic status. Avocado consumers have higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, and lower weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference compared to avocado non-consumers.
What are cardiovascular diseases?
The main cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. A healthy lifestyle, including balanced food, can, nevertheless, help to avoid CVD. For the prevention of CVD, the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology recommends a heart-healthy diet with 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fatty acids (SFA). Further, it emphasizes the substitution of SFA and trans fat with monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA).
Benefits of avocado on CVD
Although avocado-induced changes in individuals’ CVD risk profiles have been studied, clinical trials have been limited to intermediate risk factors as endpoints. These studies used a variable daily intake of avocado (0.5-2 avocados) and mostly looked at serum lipids. Avocado-containing diets maintained HDL cholesterol levels as compared to low-fat, cholesterol-lowering diets. Still, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol (TC) levels were comparable or lowered. However, avocados were used as a source of MUFA in dietary interventions. It replaced macronutrients to determine the effect of dietary fat intake on serum lipids in these trials.
Diet is a key element in improving the cardiometabolic profile, thus decreasing the risk of CVD. Favorable bioactive food compounds include MUFAs and polyunsaturated fatty acids, soluble fiber, vegetable proteins, phytosterols, and polyphenols, all present in avocados. Therefore, our substitution analysis, estimating the risk of CVD and CHD by substituting specific types of fat‐containing food sources with avocado, is consistent and supported by this evidence. The replacement of fat‐containing foods (some with SFA) with the same amount of avocado was associated with a lower risk of CVD and CHD. At the same time, the substitution for olive oil and other plant oils yielded non-significant results. Furthermore, 2 current analyses found a lower risk of CHD and CVD mortality when plant‐sourced MUFAs substitute animal‐sourced MUFAs and SFA.
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