Eating Avocado For Low Cholesterol
While avocados are high in carbohydrates and fat, they can also be a contender in the fight against high cholesterol. Here is a look at how avocados may be able to help you.
Part of the reason behind avocado’s successfulness as a cholesterol-lowering food has to with the fact that it is packed with monounsaturated fat, which is good for the heart. The monounsaturated fat found in avocados actually helps to raise the HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream (the good cholesterol that protects arteries) while removing the LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream (the bad cholesterol that is associated with heart disease). In a normal, healthy patient, the HDL cholesterol is much higher than than the LDL cholesterol so the LDL cholesterol does not get the opportunity to do damage.
Even though avocados have a higher fat content than many other fruits and vegetables, because the fat is not harmful and does not increase your cholesterol levels you do not have to be concerned about it. To understand the difference, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the different types of fat. Monounsaturated fats, like are found in avocados, and polyunsaturated fats are not harmful to the body since they do not increase cholesterol levels. In fact, using these fats will often lower your cholesterol level. The only fats that you really have to worry about are saturated fats, since these are the ones that raise your cholesterol level. Saturated fats are most commonly found in meat and dairy products, as well as processed foods.
Some studies have shown that eating avocados has been more beneficial to middle-aged women trying to reduce their cholesterol levels than a basic low-fat diet. While the low-fat diet did reduce the cholesterol level an average of 5%, the women who at the avocados saw an average reduction of 8%. At the same time, the women eating the avocado also saw their HDL cholesterol level go up an average of 15%. How much avocado you have to eat per day varies on size (a larger woman has to eat more than a smaller woman) but is between 1/2 and 1 1/2 avocados per day. Theories suggest that if the patients continued on the avocado diet, they would see a reduction of heart attack risk by as much as 20% in under five years.
Besides that fat in avocado that helps to lower cholesterol, avocados also include another ingredient – beta-sitosterol. The average avocado has more of this chemical than any other fruit. Beta-sitosterol helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed by food, so the more you are able to eat of it, the better.
If you are looking for ways to manage your cholesterol problem naturally and without the use of medications, talk to your doctor about using the avocado diet as part of your healthy eating plan. The cholesterol-busting properties of this fruit alone may be enough to set you on the right track towards a healthy cholesterol level.
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