JAKARTA - Consuming at least two servings of avocado a week can reduce the risk of heart disease by one-fifth, a study found.
Eating one avocado, which is the equivalent of two servings, each week appears to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 21 percent, compared to people who don't eat avocado, experts say.
Replacing half a serving of margarine, butter, eggs, yogurt, cheese, or processed meat with an equivalent amount of avocado was also associated with a 16 to 22 percent reduction in heart disease risk.
Avocados contain dietary fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats, and other important vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamins C, E, and K.
The study, published in the 'Journal of the American Heart Association', involved 68.786 women from the NHS Nurse's Health Study and 41.701 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
The people surveyed were asked about their diet and filled out a food frequency questionnaire at the start of the study, then every four years. During a 30-year follow-up period, 9.185 heart attacks and 5.290 strokes were recorded.
"Our study provides further evidence that intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality, an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention," said Dr. Lorena Pacheco, lead author, and fellow at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the United States, quoted from The National News April 10.
Research has found that replacing half an avocado a day with equal amounts of olive, nut, and other vegetable oils provides no added benefit. No association was found between eating avocado and the risk of stroke.
"We urgently need strategies to increase intake of healthy diets recommended by the American Heart Association, such as the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables and fruits," said Dr. Cheryl Anderson, chair of the American Heart Association's Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.
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"Although there is no single food that is a solution to regular healthy eating, this study proves that avocados have possible health benefits," she continued.
"This is promising, because it is a popular food, it is easily accessible, desirable, and easy to incorporate into foods eaten at home and in restaurants."
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