Eat an avo, protect your heart - Zululand Observer

About 225 South Africans die from heart disease each day, but as many as 80% of heart diseases can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.

This is according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, in the run up to World Heart Day which is commemorated on 29 September.

ALSO READ: Eight reasons to add an avocado on almost everything

In addition to regular exercise, quitting smoking, getting sufficient sleep and eating healthy are imperative. One food that stands out as really beneficial is the avocado.

Avocados contain key nutrients that help improve heart health. These ingredients are monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fibre.

They are also naturally cholesterol- and sodium-free. For good heart health, it’s best to aim for high levels of the good HDL cholesterol, while keeping total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol levels at bay.

It’s also important to keep triglycerides – a type of fat in the blood – in check.

Looking into the impact of avocado-containing diets on various heart health markers, when avocados replaced bad saturated fats, researchers found a drop in total cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, with a rise in HDL cholesterol.

Adding more support to these findings is the 2020 trial published in the Journal of Nutrition. This found that eating one avocado daily lowers bad LDL cholesterol.

It is clear that the variety of nutrients found in avocados offer a nutritional win that earns this amazing fruit a place on any heart healthy menu.

As well as improving heart health, avocados also assist with high blood pressure, inflammation, and blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as metabolic syndrome, fat around the belly, and weight.

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Eat an avo, protect your heart - Zululand Observer
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