Avocados and Cardiovascular Health Research

Evidenced-based resources and support from CRT member Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®

“There is a growing body of evidence that suggests avocados support heart health. Fresh Avocados – Love One Today is pleased to collaborate with ACLM’s Corporate Roundtable and provide complimentary resources to both patients and clinicians working to establish more nutritious and heart-healthy dietary patterns.” – Love One Today Public Relations and Advertising Manager Amanda Izquierdo, MPH, RD, LDN.

Despite many advancements in understanding and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD), it remains the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, taking a life every 34 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A growing body of evidence suggests that 80% of premature heart disease and strokes are preventable with sufficiently-dosed lifestyle behavior changes in areas such as avoidance of harmful substances like smoking, physical activity and diet. ACLM recommends a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern for the prevention, treatment, and reversal of many chronic diseases.

Love One Today, an initiative to advance awareness and understanding of the nutrition research on avocado consumption, joined ACLM’s Corporate Roundtable in 2022 and is empowering lifestyle medicine by providing resources that make it easy for health professionals help patients who want to improve their health and make diet-related lifestyle behavior changes with healthy foods like avocado.

Additionally, avocados are a good source of fiber. Soluble fiber represents 35% of the fiber in avocados, which helps prevent the digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. Avocados also contribute plant compounds including phytosterols (38 milligrams of beta-sitosterol per 50-gram serving), which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels as well as carotenoids (136 micrograms of lutein per 50-gram serving).

There are plenty of reasons and ways fresh avocados can be part of a heart-healthy diet, according to Love One Today. Avocados are a source of unsaturated fat and virtually the only fruit with these “good” fats. Unsaturated fat helps the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients without raising LDL cholesterol. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages substituting saturated fat with unsaturated fats.

Here are 3 recent studies:

• Avocado Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults, Journal of the American Heart Association, 2022 – First large prospective study linking avocado intake to lower CVD risk
• Effect of Incorporating One Avocado Per Day Versus Habitual Diet on Visceral Adiposity: A Randomized Trial, Journal of the American Heart Association, 2022 – One of the most extensive clinical trials of its kind assessing daily avocado consumption, weight-related measures, and markers of cardiometabolic risk
• Avocado Consumption is Associated with a Reduction in Hypertension Incidence in Mexican Women, British Journal of Nutrition, 2022 – Prospective study evaluating avocado intake and the impact on blood pressure

“We know that shifting eating patterns can be one of the biggest drivers of reducing risk for heart disease,” said Love One Today Public Relations and Advertising Manager Amanda Izquierdo, MPH, RD, LDN. “There is a growing body of evidence that suggests avocados support heart health. Fresh Avocados – Love One Today is pleased to collaborate with ACLM’s Corporate Roundtable and provide complimentary resources to both patients and clinicians working to establish more nutritious and heart-healthy dietary patterns.”

Explore a collection of resources including accredited webinars and podcasts, educational handouts, nutrition tips, meal plans, and more to help prepare you to counsel your patients on cardiovascular health. Select credential holders can earn CE credits for listening to the webinars and podcasts.