Q. I have been tracking my cholesterol for over six years on a monthly basis. I lost weight, hoping it would go down. I ate oatmeal every day, but nothing helped.
Then a year ago I read that avocados can lower cholesterol. I started eating one every week. Since January, my cholesterol level has averaged 176. Before that, the average between 2004 and 2009 was about 215. Others may want to try this approach.
A. Your success is impressive. We found no recent research on adding avocados to the diet to lower cholesterol. But in the mid-1990s several Mexican research teams conducted studies that indicated eating avocados could reduce total cholesterol, bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (Archives of Medical Research, winter 1996).
Avocados were once considered off limits because they have such a high fat content. But research reveals that they are an excellent source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids. These are the same type of healthful fats found in olive oil.
