New study shows avocados can help lower bad cholesterol

HOUSTON – As if guacamole fans needed another reason to adore avocados, now there's new evidence of their heart-healthy benefits.

Penn State University's Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton lead a carefully controlled study of 45 people. They were assigned either to a low-fat diet or one of two healthy diets that included a moderate amount of fat.

The only difference in the moderate fat diets was the inclusion of one whole avocado a day. Within a month, all of the eating plans lowered participants' levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

But one was superior.

"The avocado diet decreased LDL cholesterol almost two-fold more than the other two diets," Kris-Etherton said.

Avocados are rich in a healthy fat called mono-unsaturated fat that's also found in many nuts and vegetable oils but it's unclear if other foods would have this same cholesterol-fighting impact.

Although, healthy fat does not mean low-fat or low-cal. If you add one avocado every day at 250 calories a pop, you could gain 2 pounds in a month!

"It's really important for consumers to appreciate that they have to switch out calories when they're incorporating avocados in their diet," Kris-Etherton said.

The advice is, replace junk food and saturated fat with healthy fat. That means cutting back on those chips that go so well with guacamole but remember that's not the only way to incorporate avocados into your diet.     

Dietitians recommend slicing it into salads or using it in place of mayonnaise on sandwiches.