Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat says a medical study. Avocados may actually help to raise levels of “good” HDL cholesterol while lowering levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. They contain cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol (a beneficial plant-based fat) more than any other fruit known to man.
Beta-sitosterol reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. So the combination of beta-sitosterol and monounsaturated fat makes the avocado an excellent cholesterol buster. In a short-term study of people with moderately high cholesterol levels, after seven days on the diet that included avocados, they had significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, along with an 11% increase in health promoting HDL cholesterol. A randomized study done in Australia has also found that a diet rich in avocados lowered total cholesterol by 8.2% compared to 5% for a low fat diet.
