Heart & Circulation
Avocado
A creamy fruit unusually high in monounsaturated fat, potassium, and fiber for something that isn't a nut.
Heart Health
Skin Health
Brain
Serving
1/2 medium (100g)
Calories Per Serving
160
Key nutrients
Monounsaturated fat, potassium, fiber, folate
Nutrient density
37
Why it’s worth eating
Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber. They support cardiovascular health and can help with absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. Add avocado to salads, sandwiches, or blend into smoothies for creaminess.
What you may notice
Satiety and fullness
Skin hydration
Markers worth tracking
Lipid panel (HDL/LDL ratio)
Potassium levels
How to eat it
Eat with the darker green flesh closest to the skin, it carries the highest concentration of carotenoids.
Pairs well with
Leafy greens or carrots, avocado's fat dramatically increases absorption of carotenoids from other vegetables
Citrus or vinegar, helps prevent browning and adds vitamin C
Storage
Ripen at room temperature; once cut, store with the pit and lemon juice, wrapped tightly, for 1-2 days.
The numbers, per 1/2 medium (100g)
18%
Vitamin K
1%
Vitamin A
11%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
3%
Iron
7%
Magnesium
10%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
6.7g
Avocados, raw, all varieties (FDC 171705)
Evidence
B
FLAGSHIP NULL RESULT: a large, well-powered RCT found one avocado per day did NOT reduce visceral fat. Two lipid meta-analyses reach opposite conclusions, partly on methodology and partly, plausibly, on funding source.
Study dose vs. serving
REALISTIC DOSE, NULL PRIMARY OUTCOME: one large avocado/day for 6 months. Primary endpoint (visceral adipose tissue by MRI) not significantly different (mean difference 0.017 L, P=0.405). No change in hepatic fat, hsCRP or metabolic-syndrome components. Only modest nominally significant reductions in total and LDL cholesterol. CONFLICT: Mahmassani 2018 (HAB-funded) found lipid changes non-significant; Peou 2016 (independent) found them significant.
Lichtenstein AH, Kris-Etherton PM, et al. Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (HAT). J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11:e025657. n=1,008 adults with elevated waist circumference, 26 weeks. FUNDED BY THE HASS AVOCADO BOARD.
Use caution if
You're managing calorie intake closely, avocado is calorie-dense relative to volume
You have a latex allergy, avocado is a common cross-reactive food
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Imported, year-round (Mexico supplied about 88% of US imports in 2024)
Forms
Fresh, oil, guacamole
Price
Premium
Bioactive
Monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) and the xanthophyll lutein
Heat stable
Yes - usually eaten raw; the fat matrix is stable
Watch
Persin is a fungicidal toxin in leaves and bark harmful to some animals; culinary flesh is not a documented human hazard. Latex-fruit syndrome cross-reactivity is documented. AVOCADO HAND: an estimated 50,413 avocado-related knife injuries in the US 1998-2017 (Am J Emerg Med. 2020;38(5):864-868), rising with consumption.
Reliability
4 / 5
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