Eating Avocados Can Lower Your Cholesterol, Research Says

We already know that avocados are sort of a superfood, and are one of the healthiest fat sources for your body. But new research shows that eating avocado is actually healthy for your heart, and could contribute to lower cholesterol. Forget the apple: according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, eating an avocado a day will help cut down on the bad kind of cholesterol that you want to avoid building up in your body.

"Our results demonstrate that avocados have beneficial effects on cardio‐metabolic risk factors that extend beyond their heart‐healthy fatty acid profile," researchers wrote in the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Consumers may shy away from avocados as a snack or as part of a meal because they are high in calories. Just one avocado has approximately 200 calories, but, according to an interview with Bloomberg, research suggests that this nutrient-rich berry is worth a few extra calories, especially if it replaces lower-calorie foods that are high in saturated fats.

Don't know where to start adding avocados into your diet? Check out The Daily Meal's best chicken and avocado recipes, or bacon and avocado recipes (although that latter one may defeat the purpose of avoiding bad cholesterol).