Not all healthy food trends are as good for you as they’re hyped up to be (remember the low-fat craze of the ‘90s?), but avocados are one food that lives up to their reputation. Registered dietitians regularly talk about how beneficial the fruit (yes, fruit) is. But brunch photos on Instagram and memes about avocados being the “good kind of fat” don’t exactly address how much it’s best to eat on a regular basis to reap the health benefits. Fortunately, a new study sheds some light on how many avocados a week to eat specifically for heart health.
Why eating avocados is good for your heart—and how much you should eat a week
“Avocados are a nutrient-dense fruit that contains dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytonutrients, and bioactive compounds,” says Victoria Shemer, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Married To Health. In other words, avocados are jam-packed with many nutrients connected to heart health, not just one. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, eating two servings of avocado a week can lower one’s risk of heart disease by 21 percent. The study took more than 68,000 people into account, tracking their health over the course of 30 years, so researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing a wealth of data. “The serving size of avocado has recently changed,” Shemer says. She explains that in the past, a serving was considered one-fifth of a whole avocado—not very much. “The serving size of avocado was updated in 2016 to one-third of a fruit to reflect current eating habits,” Shemer says. So if you want your avocado habit to work in your favor in terms of lowering your risk of heart disease, eating one-third of the fruit twice a week will help. But Shemer says it’s important not to be too hung up on the serving size. “[I] recommend not getting too fixated on exact serving sizes or recommendations as they can be fairly arbitrary,” she says. “What matters is having healthy whole food fat sources like avocados in the right balance along with a diverse variety of other plant foods.” Registered dietitian Melissa Rifkin, RD, says that another reason not to get too fixated on the exact serving size is because avocados come in a range of different sizes. (For what it’s worth, while there are many different varieties of avocados, she says the one-third recommendation is tied to Haas avocados in particular.) Rifkin also says that if someone wants to have a serving of avocado more than twice a week, she says to go for it. “Being that it boasts incredible nutritional value, I believe three times a week or even daily is very reasonable,” she says. But is there such a thing as too much avocado? Both experts say that, as with everything, moderation comes into play when it comes to avocados too. “Eating too much healthy fat and fiber found in avocados may cause adverse GI symptoms,” Shemer says. Rifkin adds that someone’s individual health goals are also important to consider. For example, if someone is trying to lose weight in a healthy way, the calories in avocados should be considered, just like any other food they are eating throughout the day.
Ideas for getting your avocado fix and supporting your heart in the process
Both RDs say that there is no shortage of ways to incorporate a serving of avocado into your meals a couple of times a week (at least). Rifkin says that she loves the classic ways of enjoying avocado, like guacamole, avocado toast, or adding it to salads and tacos. Want to try something a little more creative? She says you can make baked eggs with avocado by slicing your avocado in half, taking out the seed, and pouring the inside of an egg in the avocado’s shallow middle. Then, bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 450°F. Rifkin also says avocados are great to add to smoothies to make them extra creamy and satiating. You can even enjoy avocado for dessert. Shemer says she likes to use avocado to make a rich chocolate pudding by simply blending together two large avocados (without the peel and seeds), two large bananas, two pitted dates, cacao powder, and a plant milk of your choice. If you do have the goal of eating for heart health, both dietitians say it’s important to focus on your overall diet and not just consider avocados as a heart health cure-all. “Foods with more rewards than risks are plant foods,” Shemer says. “If you remember one thing, it’s that you should have the goal of making at least 60 percent of your meal from plant-based foods such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.” Rifkin also recommends eating other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like eggs, fish, and walnuts. The takeaway is that avocados are truly beneficial for heart health and you don’t have to eat all that much to help out your heart. But it’s also important to eat other heart-healthy foods too. If only all prescriptions could be as tasty as eggs and avocado toast! Next up, find out what the absolute healthiest vegetables are, according to registered dietitians.
Sources:
Victoria Shemer, RDN, registered dietitian and nutritionist at Married To HealthMelissa Rifkin, RD, registered dietitian
