Ripe, creamy avocados are delicious on toast, in a salad, on a burger or even sprinkled with salt. And they’re healthy, but how healthy?
“Avocados are not your ordinary fruit,” says Frank Hu, PhD, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “They’re highly nutritious, contain very few carbs, and are high in healthy fats and fiber.” Avocados also help make a plant-based diet more filling.
Here are some of the healthiest attributes of vegetables and some handpicked recipes from New York Times Cooking that will make you want to eat more veggies.
Avocados help lower cholesterol.
Avocados’ well-known benefits come from their heart-healthy fats, says Elizabeth Klingbeil, M.D., a registered dietitian and assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, which says most of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, unlike the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products.
“Saturated fats can clog your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Klingbeil. If left unchecked, this filth, known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol, can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol, while unsaturated fats lower it, making avocados helpful in managing blood cholesterol levels, especially when eaten in place of foods like meat, cheese and butter.
It may lower your risk of heart disease.
In a study that followed more than 110,000 adults for 30 years, Dr. Hu and his colleagues found that people who ate avocados at least two times a week had a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
The researchers used statistics to account for other factors that may affect people’s heart health, but Dr Hu said they still couldn’t say for sure whether avocados directly reduced risk.
Dr. Martin Kohlmeyer, a professor at the University of North Carolina Nutrition Institute, explained that it’s difficult to pinpoint specific foods as the cause of health effects.
Because avocados are a great substitute for less healthy foods, studies showing their effectiveness may partly reflect the benefits of cutting back on other things, such as substituting avocado for mayonnaise on a sandwich, or adding more avocado and less beef in a burrito.
“Many of the reported effects are substitution effects, not necessarily avocado effects,” Dr. Kohlmeyer said.
Dr Hu added that people who eat avocados may be more likely to have a healthier diet in general.
They support the gut flora.
Avocados are rich in fiber, which can help you maintain a healthy weight and promote gut health, says Dr Klingbeil.
When gut bacteria digest fiber, they release small molecules called postbiotics that affect our overall health, said Chao-Pin Li, PhD, professor of medicine and director of clinical nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles. Healthy bacteria can also signal to the brain that you’re full, Dr. Klingbeil said.
Dr Hu says avocados can help you meet your daily fibre targets, which is important because research shows most people don’t get enough fibre.
Aim to get at least 21-38 grams of fiber per day, depending on your age and gender. One avocado contains about 10 grams of fiber.
It is rich in micronutrients.
The vitamin E in avocados may support healthy skin, says Dr. Klingbeil, and the lutein in avocados may help preserve eyesight, says Dr. Kohlmeyer.
While bananas are the go-to source for potassium, avocados contain even more of this important mineral, which can help lower high blood pressure, says Dr Hu.
We’ll show you how to enjoy it.
No single food will make your diet healthy or unhealthy — the real benefits come from eating avocados as part of a varied, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins.
These recipes from NYT Cooking will help you do just that.
Recipe: Avocado Soup with Chili Oil
Delicious cold or at room temperature, this smooth soup has the perfect amount of heat from the chile oil and crunch from the toasted pepitas.
Recipe: Garlic Chicken with Guasacaca Sauce
A spicy blend of cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, and avocado, guaçaca sauce is a delicious complement to garlicky roasted chicken (and any other meat, seafood, or vegetable).
