“So yes, avocados are high in fat. But that fat is largely monounsaturated fat, specifically oleic acid, an omega-9 fat found in high amounts in olive oil and many nuts. Monounsaturated fat actually benefits your cholesterol profile. In research at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico, forty-five volunteers who ate avocados every day for a week experienced an average 17 percent drop in total blood cholesterol. More important, is the effect avocados had on specific kinds of cholesterol. In the study, both LDL and triglycerides went down, while HDL—which is mostly protective—went up.

Monounsaturated fat like the kind found in avocados has also been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and diabetes. Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and reprinted on the American Diabetes Association website demonstrated that people following a modified low-carb diet higher in monounsaturated fat lost more weight than a matched group of people following the standard National Cholesterol Education Program diet. And monounsaturated fats are a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which in every major study has been linked with lower rates of heart disease.”

Eat avocados. Eat a lot of them. Eat them with olive oil and vinegar, eat them stuffed with shrimp, eat them as guacamole, eat them on toast. Just eat them. They are super good for you.

Dr.Jonny Bowden, PhD is an expert on the functional approach to lowering cholesterol. He is a functional nutritionist.