Harvard scientists reveal what one avocado a week can do for you

Avocados contain high levels of fibre, healthy fats and other key nutrients

Joe Pinkstone
© Telegraph Media Group Limited

Eating one avocado a week cuts the risk of heart disease by more than a fifth, according to Harvard scientists.

Eating two or more servings, equivalent to one whole avocado, appears to reduce the risk of suffering coronary heart disease by 21pc when compared with the risk run by people who do not eat them.

Avocados contain high levels of fibre, healthy fats and other key nutrients, such as magnesium and vitamins C, E and K, and have become increasingly popular in recent years, often served “smashed” on sourdough bread with poached eggs in cafes and restaurants.

Previous studies have shown that the fruit, first eaten in Mexico at least 7,000 years ago, has various health benefits, including reducing cholesterol, body weight, BMI and waist size.

More than 100,000 people were followed for several years during the Harvard study to determine whether eating avocados impacted on long-term health conditions.

Researchers found that as well as reducing coronary heart disease risk, eating avocados brought about a 16pc drop in the likelihood of developing other cardiovascular diseases.

“Our study provides further evidence that intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and is an important component in cardiovascular disease prevention,” said Dr Lorena Pacheco, lead author of the study by the Harvard T H Chan School of ­Public Health in Boston.

“These are particularly notable findings since the consumption of avocados has risen steeply in the US in the last 20 years, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.”

Participants in the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, completed food frequency questionnaires at the start of the study and at four-year intervals. They were monitored for 30 years, during which more than 14,000 cases of heart-related issues were recorded.

Researchers found that replacing half a serving daily of margarine, butter, egg, yoghurt, cheese or processed meats with the same amount of avocado led to a drop of about a fifth in the risk of ­cardiovascular disease events.

Dr Cheryl Anderson, chairman of the American Heart Association council on epidemiology and prevention, said: “These findings are significant because a healthy dietary pattern is the cornerstone for ­cardiovascular health.

“Although no one food is the solution to routinely eating a healthy diet, this study is evidence that avocados have possible health benefits.”