The FDA has announced that fresh Hass avocados now qualify for the “Dietary Saturated Fat and Cholesterol and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease” health claim. In other words, fresh Hass avocados can now be labeled heart-healthy, according to the federal regulations. In addition to avocados, the interim final rule qualifies all raw fruits and vegetables as heart-healthy. Aligning dietary guidance with current nutrition science, the ruling reinforces the large body of science suggesting fruits and vegetables support heart health, including a study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that investigated the potential beneficial effects of eating fresh avocados on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The study demonstrated that participants who incorporated one fresh Hass avocado into the diet daily for five weeks reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol levels more than a moderate fat diet without avocado or a low fat diet without avocado. This ruling confirms that people can choose to eat avocados daily for heart health benefits and underscores the full range of heart health qualities of avocados – they contain naturally good fats and are cholesterol and sodium-free.
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