If you are looking for a delicious and proven means to lower your bad cholesterol levels-eat more avocados! In a new clinical trial that compared three different diets (low-fat with no avocado, moderate fat with no avocado, and moderate fat with one avocado a day) those consuming the moderate fat avocado diet hands down came out on top for heart health. Relative to the other two diets, the avocado eaters lowered their bad cholesterol levels the most (about twice as much as the low-fat diet!), in addition to experiencing several other cardiovascular benefits. These favorable changes included lower triglyceride levels and lower small dense LDL’s (the “deadly” cholesterol), among several others.

I consider avocados one of the most underutilized of all superfoods. This unsung hero is simply phenomenal in terms of its nutritional firepower (vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, healthy fats, etc.) and there is loads of good data to support its benefits for all-over health. Whether your goals are heart health, brain health, metabolic health, or slowing the aging process, avocados are a delectable gift straight from Mother Nature’s side-effect free apothecary. I aim to include this green goddess in my diet each day. Here are the other foods I strive to eat daily. (Journal of the American Heart Association, January 2015 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001355)