Avocado
The Avocado in the true sense of the word, is not a superfood. It has not got as many nutrients as some of the other foods that we have talked about but I believe that it is a much underused fruit particularly as we also have vegetarians listening who would benefit from eating avocados in their diet.
It is not only meat eaters who suffer from high LDL or lousy cholesterol levels – vegetarians can too, especially if they are eating large quantities of cheese or other dairy products as an alternative to meat. Also some processed vegetarian products that you buy such as sausages and burgers can have a high saturated fat content so cholesterol can still be a problem.
Everyone needs to monitor their cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Avocados have not only oleic acid, which has been shown to lower cholesterol, levels but also they contain potassium. We mentioned that earlier and this mineral regulates blood pressure. Avocados are also high in Folate and this too has a direct impact on heart health.
All these conditions tend to affect us as we get into our 50’s and 60’s – it is never too late to include foods like avocado in your diet. Some studies have shown that in as little as 7 days cholesterol levels have been decreased. I am not suggesting that everyone rush out and eat two avocados per day. But certainly ½ an avocado a day with some seafood or tuna or on a salad will not do you any harm but in fact will certainly help prevent these two potentially critical conditions.
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