The avocado, an essential star of healthy diets for its fiber and unsaturated fatty acid content, has revealed another secret: it is good for the heart. According to scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, supported by the American Heart Association, its consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
- Cardiovascular disease, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the United States
- These diseases can be largely prevented by a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet limited to 5% to 6% of calories from animal saturated fatty acids found in milk, butter and meat, according to the American Heart Association
Eat two servings of avocado either a whole fruit, per week minimum to preserve its heart, here is the advice which could result from the conclusion of a study conducted for more than 30 years which followed nearly 100,000 health professionals. Over the years, they listed 9,185 coronary diseases and 5,290 heart attacks. These data were cross-referenced with their food region, including avocado consumption, evaluated by a food questionnaire every four years.
21% less risk of having cardiovascular disease
Scientists have calculated that people who eat two servings of avocado per week have, respectively, 16% and 21% less risk of having cardiovascular or coronary disease, compared to people who eat little or none at all.
In contrast, no beneficial association was observed for heart attacks. According to scientists, replacing half a portion of margarine, butter, egg or meat with the same amount of avocado also has a beneficial effect: a 16 to 22% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study, observational, cannot demonstrate a causal link between avocado consumption and the reduction of cardiovascular diseases, but only an association.
650,000 tons
This good news should not only have positive repercussions. Indeed, in recent years, the global demand for avocado has exploded: in Europe alone, its consumption increased by 65% between 2016 and 2018 to reach around 650,000 tonnes. Knowing that a kilo of avocados requires 1000 liters of water, seven times more than for a kilo of lettuce, and that the use of pesticides in avocado crops is common in Mexico, the world’s leading exporter, the results ecological cultivation of avocado is particularly negative.
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