Elevate your meals with avocado: The answer to diabetes and heart disease

 Could adding avocado to your daily diet help lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar and even shrink your waistline? A recent Australian study suggests it might — and the findings are turning heads in the world of nutrition science.

Researchers from the University of Wollongong analyzed data from over 2,700 Australian adults and discovered that those who regularly ate avocados had better cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar and smaller waistlines compared to non-avocado eaters.

The study, published in Nutrition Journal in 2024, adds to the growing evidence that this creamy green fruit is more than just a trendy toast topping — it might be a secret weapon for heart and metabolic health.

The avocado effect: What the study found

According to the study, only about 15 percent of Australians ate avocados regularly, but those who did showed some striking health benefits:

• Higher "good" cholesterol – Avocado consumers had significantly better high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which helps clear artery-clogging low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
• Lower blood sugar – Even small amounts of avocado were linked to healthier glucose levels, a key factor in diabetes prevention.
• Smaller waistlines – Avocado eaters were found to have lower body mass indices (BMIs) and slimmer waist measurements, suggesting that eating avocados may help with weight management.

Interestingly, avocado lovers also ate more fruits, vegetables and fiber overall, hinting that avocados can be part of a broader healthy diet.

Avocados are a heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly superfood

Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats (the same kind found in olive oil), fiber, magnesium and potassium. These nutrients are known to:

• Improve cholesterol balance by lowering LDL while maintaining or boosting HDL
• Stabilize blood sugar by slowing digestion and reducing carbohydrate-induced spikes
• Promote fullness, potentially helping people eat fewer processed snacks

Past studies — such as a 2022 randomized trial which found that eating avocados daily can decrease total cholesterol levels by 2.9 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and LDL cholesterol by 2.5 mg/dL — support these findings. The said research also reported that, aside from not causing weight gain despite contributing calories, incorporating an avocado a day improved the overall quality of the participants' diets.

Meanwhile, a study published in Diabetes Care found that partially replacing carbohydrates with monounsaturated fats like those found in avocados slashed blood triglycerides by 20 percent in diabetics. The participants were also able to maintain adequate glycemic control while on an avocado-enriched diet.