Avocado in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Avocado may be considered a functional food in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, some studies suggested.

A cardiovascular disease is a group of conditions triggered by the abnormal function of the heart and blood vessels abnormality.

The 3 most common forms of cardiovascular disease in North America are coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and carotid artery disease caused by plaques build-up of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the arms and legs, and the brain, respectively.
What causes plaques to build up in the wall of the arteries are debatable. Researchers do not why people who have the same health conditions, family history, and diet pattern, are susceptible to the early onset of cardiovascular disease while others do not.

One of the most common and preventable risk factors has been under the intensified debate in the scientific community. If a poor diet pattern and lifestyle can facilitate the onset of the disease, then a healthy diet choice and lifestyle with moderate exercise should provide a strong effect in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

In other words, by replacing the Western diet characterized by higher loads of processed meats, salty snacks, sweets, and soft drinks and a dietary risk factor for CVD with the traditional diet characterized by high in fruits and vegetables and less in red meat and processed foods, cardiovascular disease is preventable.



Dr. Sonia S. Anand, the lead scientists in the study "Food Consumption and its Impact on Cardiovascular Disease,... said, " Evidence from different countries, age/race/ethnicity/socioeconomic groups suggest the health effects studies of foods, macronutrients, and dietary patterns on CVD appear to be far more consistent though regional knowledge gaps are highlighted".

"Based on the current evidence, the traditional Mediterranean-type diet, including plant foods/emphasizing plant protein sources, provides a well-tested healthy dietary pattern to reduce CVD".

These result strongly suggested people who understand the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients of food in the contribution of cardiovascular disease, should be more likely to change the diet pattern, which not only prevents the disease onset in the borderline healthy individual but also reduces the risk of the disease progression and complications associated with patients with cardiovascular disease.

Avocado is a commercially valuable fruit cultivated in tropical climates throughout the world.

The fruit is a green-skinned, pear-shaped fruit that ripens after harvesting and native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and Central America, belonging to the flowering plant family Lauraceae.

The fruit contains campesterol, high amounts of β-sitosterol (average 76.4 mg/100 g); fatty acids (approximately 60% monounsaturated, 20% saturated, and 20% unsaturated); high amounts of glutathione (27.7 mg/100 g); approximately 2% protein; 6–9% carbohydrates and sugars (glucose, fructose, d-mannoheptulose, a taloheptulose, and an alloheptulose); two bitter substances (1-acetoxy-2,4-dihydroxyheptadeca-16-ene and 1,2,4-trihydroxyheptadeca-16-ene); carnitine; proanthocyanidins; persenones A and B..

In the finding, the natural ingredient for the treatment of cardiovascular disease without inducing any side effects researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal launched an investigation to examine the cardiovascular effects of Persea Americana Mill (Lauraceae) aqueous leaf extract (PAE).

In healthy normal Wistar rats in vitro, the application of the leaf extract exerted a significant effect in reducing the levels of high blood pressure.

On guinea pig P Americana aqueous leaf extract (25-800 mg/ml) produced concentration-dependent, significant (p < 0.05-0.001), modified the force or speed of contraction of muscles. and heart rate by inhibiting the positive inotropic and chronotropic responses.

Like acetylcholine (ACh, 10(-8)-10(-5) M), the plant extract (25- 800 mg/ml) produced concentration-related relaxations pre-contracted with noradrenaline.

Furthermore, PAE (25-400 mg/kg iv) caused dose-related, transient but significant reductions in the systemic arterial blood pressure and heart rates of the anesthetized normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Dr.Ojewole JA, the lead scientist said, "the findings of this study tend to suggest that P Americana leaf could be used as a natural supplementary remedy in essential hypertension and certain cases of cardiac dysfunctions".

Moreover, in the examine the cardio effects of avocado through its monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) dietary fiber, essential nutrients, and phytochemicals, researchers at the Nutrition Impact launched a study to investigate the relationships between avocado consumption and overall diet quality, energy and nutrient intakes, physiological indicators of health, and risk of metabolic syndrome.

Diet quality was calculated using the USDA's Healthy Eating Index-2005. Subjects included 17,567 US adults ≥ 19 years of age (49% female), including 347 avocado consumers (50% female), examined in NHANES 2001-2008.

Avocado consumers had significantly higher intakes of vegetables (p<0.05); fruit, diet quality, total fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, dietary fiber, vitamins E, K, magnesium, and potassium (p<0.0001); vitamin K (p=0.0013); and lower intakes of added sugars with no significant differences were seen in calorie or sodium intakes.

Bodyweight, BMI, and waist circumference were significantly lower (p<0.01), and HDL-C was higher (p<0.01) in avocado consumers.

The odds ratio for metabolic syndrome was 50% (95th CI: 0.32-0.72) lower in avocado consumers vs. non-consumers.

These findings suggested avocado consumption is associated with improved overall diet quality, nutrient intake, and reduced the risk of metabolic syndrome, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Fulgoni VL 3rd, the lead author, after taking into account co and confounders wrote, "Dietitians should be aware of the beneficial associations between avocado intake, diet, and health when making dietary recommendations".

Taken altogether, avocado processed a high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, dietary fiber may be considered a functional fruit for the prevention and adjunct therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.



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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Cardiovascular effects of Persea americana Mill (Lauraceae) (avocado) aqueous leaf extract in experimental animals by Ojewole JA1, Kamadyaapa DR, Gondwe MM, Moodley K, Musabayane CT.(PubMed)
(2) Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008 by Fulgoni VL 3rd1, Dreher M, Davenport AJ. (PubMed)
(3) Food Consumption and its impact on Cardiovascular Disease: Importance of Solutions focused on the globalized food system. A Report from the Workshop convened by the World Heart Federation bySonia S. Anand,1,2,* Corinna Hawkes,3,* Russell J. de Souza,4 Andrew Mente,2Mahshid Dehghan,2 Rachel Nugent,5 Michael A. Zulyniak,1 Tony Weis,6 Adam M. Bernstein,7Ronald Krauss,8 Daan Kromhout,9 David J.A. Jenkins,10,11 Vasanti Malik,12Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez,13 Dariush Mozafarrian,14 Salim Yusuf,2 Walter C. Willett,12 andBarry M Popkin. (PMC)