Avocados and Hypertension: A Heart-Healthy Approach

By Feon Cheng, PhD, RDN, Nutrition Epidemiologist, Avocado Nutrition Center

Hypertension

Hypertension affects approximately half of adults in the United States. It increases the risks of stroke and heart disease and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. To reduce hypertension, your clients can adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Diet and Hypertension

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends a heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan because it has been shown to decrease high blood pressure. The DASH diet suggests consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, beans, fish, poultry, and nuts. To follow the DASH eating plan, it is important to select foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, high in magnesium, fiber, potassium, calcium, and protein.

Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. When used in place of other fats, avocados can be a part of the DASH eating plan, which may help to lower blood pressure. Additionally, avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, including 11% of the Daily Value (DV) for dietary fiber, 10% of the DV for folate, 6% of the DV for vitamin E, 6% of the DV for potassium, 4% of the DV for vitamin C, and 2% of the DV for iron per 50-gram serving, along with 136 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein.

Avocado and Hypertension

Studies have investigated the association between avocado and hypertension. In a study1 of 67,383 Mexican women, consuming ≥2.5 avocados per week was linked to lower self-reported hypertension rates, higher intakes of dietary fiber, and monounsaturated fat than ≤1 per month. Women with hypertension at the start were excluded. The median avocado intake was half an avocado weekly, and a food frequency questionnaire assessed food intake. Another peer-reviewed paper reported similar findings. A meta-analysis2 of 18 prospective studies (451,291 participants, 145,492 cases) found that higher fruit and vegetable consumption was linked to reduced hypertension risk. Inverse associations were observed for avocado, blueberries, raisins or grapes, broccoli, carrots, and lettuce. The results of these studies are not casual and cannot be generalized, but they support the idea that avocados are heart-healthy.

Avocado Recipes

Avocados are a healthy, nutrient-dense fruit, and can be a part of the DASH eating plan. The Avocado Nutrition Center offers a variety of recipes ideas catering to different dietary needs, spanning from breakfast to side dishes, which you can incorporate for your clients. Discover the collection of avocado recipes at: https://loveonetoday.com/avocado-recipes/

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References:

1. Monge A, Stern D, Cortés-Valencia A, Catzín-Kuhlmann A, Lajous M, Denova-Gutiérrez E. Avocado consumption is associated with a reduction in hypertension incidence in Mexican women. Br J Nutr. 2023;129(11):1976-1983. doi:10.1017/S0007114522002690
2. Madsen H, Sen A, Aune D. Fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Nutr. 2023;62(5):1941-1955. doi:10.1007/s00394-023-03145-5