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Want to get healthier? Consider eating more avocado

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Lowering cholesterol levels and following a heart-healthy lifestyle aren't always easy, which is why people should regularly get blood tests to help make sure they are on the the right path. However, sometimes boosting wellness can be as simple as adding one particular food to your diet. For example, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently determined that people who consume avocados are healthier than those who do not.

Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to come to their conclusions. According to their findings, adding avocados to a diet could be a simple way for people to get more nutrients into their diet while simultaneously helping to lower their weight and increase the amount of "good" cholesterol in their body.

Time for more avocado
The scientists discovered that people who consumed any amount of avocado during a 24-hour period appeared to be in overall better health than those who did not when their health was recorded at the end of the day. The average avocado-consumer surveyed would eat the equivalent of about one medium-sized avocado daily.

The scientists examined cholesterol levels, weight, nutrient and blood sugar levels, as well as waist circumference to determine if people who ate avocados were healthier than those who did not consume this savory fruit. They found that people who ate avocados had significantly higher amounts of important nutrients in their systems than others. For example, avocado-eaters were found to have 23 percent more vitamin E, 13 percent more magnesium, 48 percent more vitamin K, 16 percent more potassium and 36 percent more dietary fiber than those who reported that they do not regularly eat the fruit.

Although average daily calorie intake was more or less the same between people who are avocados and those who did not, people who regularly enjoy this fruit were found to have higher intakes of "good" fats and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein, the healthy form of cholesterol that helps remove the bad, artery-clogging kind from the body. Furthermore, avocado-consumers were found to weigh an average of more than seven pounds less than others, and had a smaller waist circumference.

"These findings suggest an interesting association between the consumption of avocados and better nutrient intakes and other positive outcomes," said study primary investigator Victor Fulgoni, Ph.D., in a statement. "These observations were derived from population survey data, they provide important clues to better understanding the relationships between diet and health, and give direction to future research endeavors."

Other superfoods
While these findings suggest that avocados are packed with important nutrients to help jump-start a healthy diet, there are other foods that are also known for being highly nutritious. For example, Prevention magazine states that although many people avoid eggs because they are high in cholesterol, they shouldn't be avoided. Eggs also contain choline, which is linked to lower rates of breast cancer as well as healthy antioxidants. Individuals just need to make sure they don't eat too many eggs, one in the morning is all it takes to get the nutritional benefits.

Another healthy food to consider is Greek yogurt, which contains calcium to help protect the bones and also often has probiotics that can aid in digestion. Finally, salmon is a powerhouse of nutrition because it is packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which helps prevent rickets and even depression. So while it's not always simple to fit in a workout every day, adding some of these foods to a diet can go a long way toward a healthier life.