Judy Nierenberg is doing what she can to keep her cholesterol in check. “I try to eat healthy fats.”
Researchers at Penn State University say including avocados in your diet could help bad cholesterol. They looked at 45 healthy overweight or obese adults who followed three different cholesterol-lowering diets. The study funded by the NIH and Hass Avocado board found people who ate an avocado every day had lower levels of bad cholesterol.
“There is fiber in avocado. There are things called phytosterols that are essentially plant cholesterol that lowers cholesterol. There is also certain types of sugar in avocado that seem to have beneficial effects on insulin and may even benefit the appetite in certain ways,” says Dr. James Underberg of NYU Langone Medical Center.
Bad cholesterol contributes to plaque in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Doctors say while avocados are a great way to reduce saturated fats in your diet, don't overdo it.
“Just like with nuts is they are highly calorically concentrated or dense so that a single avocado, which is what was in this trial, is more than 300 calories.”
Judy eats avocados in salad.
“My bad cholesterol has stayed low watching my diet, eating good fats healthy fats and a little Lipitor.”
She says she is also trying to lose a few pounds this new year.
People in the study who followed the avocado diet also improved their total cholesterol and triglycerides.
