Avocados may help combat the metabolic syndrome

A new review investigates the effects of avocados on different components of metabolic syndrome, which is a clustering of risk factors including high blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index. These risk factors lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

According to studies reported in the literature, avocados have the most beneficial effects on lipid profiles, with changes to LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and phospholipids.

The peel, seed, flesh, and leaves of avocados have differing effects on components of metabolic syndrome.

"Avocado is a well-known source of carotenoids, minerals, phenolics, vitamins, and fatty acids," wrote the authors of the Phytotherapy Research review. "The lipid- lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic, and cardioprotective effects of avocado have been demonstrated in several studies."

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Journal Reference:

1. Jamshid Tabeshpour, Bibi Marjan Razavi, Hossein Hosseinzadeh. Effects of Avocado (Persea americana ) on Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. Phytotherapy Research, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5805