MISSION VIEJO, Calif. — A new analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, compared avocado consumers to non-consumers and found that consuming avocados may be associated with an overall better diet, higher intake of essential nutrients, lower body weight, lower Body Mass Index (BMI) and smaller waist circumference.
Insulin and homocysteine levels were lower in the avocado group, as well as a significantly reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome. Homocysteine, when elevated, has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.i Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises the risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.ii The analysis, “Avocado consumption by adults is associated with better nutrient Intake, diet quality, and some measures of adiposity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2012,” was published in the journal Internal Medicine Review.