Avocado Oil's Atherosclerosis-Preventing Effects Shown in a Study

As one of the most prevalent diseases around the world, obesity can wreak havoc on people's health. One of the main threats of carrying excess weight is atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque inside arteries. Atherosclerosis, in turn, is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Numerous studies have linked atherosclerosis and heart health to saturated fat consumption.¹ That is why the focus has been placed on investigating the benefits of unsaturated fats, such as those found in avocado, on decreasing atherosclerosis risks and prolonging life.

This study was done to determine the effects of replacing butter with avocado oil on metabolic parameters in overweight adults after a calorie- and fat-rich breakfast.

The Study

To put their hypothesis to a test, researchers recruited 13 healthy, overweight adults at the average age of 65. Once they were split into two groups, participants consumed two types of meals:

• The control group was given breakfast with butter, bacon, eggs, white bread, potatoes, and iced sugar

• The treatment group was given the same breakfast, with the exception that butter was replaced for Hass avocado oil.

The number of blood lipid, glycemic, and inflammatory biomarkers were measured before and after breakfast.

The Results

Various glucose, hormonal, and acute inflammatory responses significantly improved in the treatment group. They included post-meal insulin, glycemia, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 markers.

However, high-density lipoprotein and glucagon-like peptide-1 responses after breakfast were similar in both groups.

What Does this Mean?

As evident by the results of this trial, Hass avocado oil can counteract the negative effects of a high caloric and fat meal.

In this particular trial, cardiometabolic biomarkers improved by simply replacing saturated fats (butter) with a healthy source of unsaturated fats (avocado). Such easy and affordable substitutions can have a tremendous impact on atherosclerosis prevention, especially those struggling with being overweight and obese.

Other herbs that are rich in polyunsaturated fats include sacha inchi, walnuts, olives, and flax.