If you’re in need of an excuse to indulge in avocado on toast, science has come up trumps.
Researchers have today concluded that the millennials’ favourite fruit is great for your heart.
Eating more potassium, abundant in avocados as well as bananas, may stave off a heart attack or stroke, their study found.
Although only women appear to reap its benefits,
Every extra 1g of potassium consumed per day, roughly one avocado (975mg), was linked to a 2.4mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure.
A similar amount is also found in three bananas or three cups of milk (375mg each).
Potassium helps the body pass more sodium in the urine, controlling the balance of fluids in the body.
But Dutch experts, who uncovered the benefits of the widely-loved ‘avo-on-toast’, believe it may keep the heart healthy in other ways.
The study tracked nearly 25,000 people for almost 20 years.
Participants were aged between 40 and 79 when the project kicked off, before the millennium.
All were quizzed about their lifestyle habits and had blood pressure readings taken.
Urinary samples were taken to allow researchers to estimate how much sodium and potassium they consumed daily.
The compound is hidden in fresh everyday foods, making it hard for people to give an accurate reflection of how much they get.
Volunteers were grouped by how much potassium they ate per day, ranging from low to high.
The World Health Organization guidelines say that adults should eat 3.5g per day.
Analysis in the European Heart Journal showed women with the highest potassium intake had the lowest blood pressure levels.
Every one gram increase in daily potassium was linked with a 2.4mmHg drop in blood pressure.
Meanwhile, a separate analysis revealed participants who consumed the most were 13 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than people who consumed the least.
The findings took into account factors that may have skewed the results, such as smoking status, alcohol intake and underlying health conditions.
Professor Liffert Vogt, a medical specialist at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, said: “Our findings indicate that a heart-healthy diet goes beyond limiting salt to boosting potassium content.
“Food companies can help by swapping standard sodium-based salt for a potassium salt alternative in processed foods.
“On top of that, we should all prioritise fresh, unprocessed foods since they are both rich in potassium and low in salt.”
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘This research supports current advice that cutting down our intake of salt and eating more foods containing potassium can be the recipe for a healthier heart.
“An easy way to boost your potassium intake is by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
“Other foods like pulses, fish, nuts, seeds and milk are also high in potassium and low in salt, so can help benefit your heart.
“However, keeping healthy isn’t just about monitoring what’s on your plate. Limiting your alcohol intake and staying physically active will also help to lower your blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.”
– Mail Online
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