Hass Avocado Composition and Potential Health Effects

Figures & data

Table 1 Hass avocados (Persea americana) composition of edible portion (USDA, 2011)

	Value per	1 fruit,	1/2 fruit, 68 g	1 serving, 30 g
Nutrient/phytochemical	100 g	136 g	(NHANES eating occasion)	(NLEA serving)
Proximates
Water (g)	72.3	98.4	49.2	21.7
Energy (kcal)	167	227	114	50.0
Energy (kcal) (insoluble fiber adjusted)	148	201	101	44.0
Protein (g)	1.96	2.67	1.34	0.59
Total lipid (fat) (g)	15.4	21.0	10.5	4.62
Ash, g	1.66	2.26	1.13	0.50
Carbohydrate, by difference (g)	8.64	11.8	5.90	2.59
Fiber, total dietary (g)	6.80	9.20	4.60	2.00
Sugars, total (g)	0.30	0.41	0.21	0.09
Starch (g)	0.11	0.15	0.08	0.03
Minerals
Calcium (mg)	13.0	18.0	9.0	4.0
Iron (mg)	0.61	0.83	0.42	0.18
Magnesium (mg)	29.0	39.0	19.5	9.0
Phosphorus (mg)	54.0	73.0	36.5	16.0
Potassium (mg)	507	690	345	152
Sodium (mg)	8.0	11.0	5.5	2.0
Zinc (mg)	0.68	0.92	0.46	0.20
Copper (mg)	0.17	0.23	0.12	0.05
Manganese (mg)	0.15	0.20	0.10	0.05
Selenium (ug)	0.40	0.50	0.25	0.10
Vitamins and Phytochemicals
Vitamin C (mg)	8.80	12.0	6.0	2.60
Thiamin (mg)	0.08	0.10	0.05	0.02
Riboflavin (mg)	0.14	0.19	0.09	0.04
Niacin (mg)	1.91	2.60	1.30	0.57
Pantothenic acid (mg)	1.46	2.00	1.00	0.44
Vitamin B-6 (mg)	0.29	0.39	0.19	0.09
Folate, food (μg)	89.0	121	60.5	27.0
Choline, total (mg)	14.2	19.3	9.65	4.30
Betaine (mg)	0.7	1.0	0.5	0.2
Vitamin B-12 (μg)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Vitamin A (μg RAE)	7.0	10.0	5.0	2.0
Carotene, beta (μg)	63.0	86.0	43.0	19.0
Carotene, alpha (μg)	24.0	33.0	16.5	7.0
Cryptoxanthin, beta (μg)	27.0	37.0	18.5	8.0
Lutein + zeaxanthin (μg)	271	369	185	81.0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol),mg	1.97	2.68	1.34	0.59
Tocopherol, beta (mg)	0.04	0.05	0.03	0.01
Tocopherol, gamma (mg)	0.32	0.44	0.22	0.10
Tocopherol, delta (mg)	0.02	0.03	0.02	0.01
Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) (μg)	21.0	28.6	14.3	6.30
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated (g)	2.13	2.90	1.45	0.64
16:0 (g)	2.08	2.82	1.41	0.62
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated (g)	9.80	13.3	6.65	2.94
18:1 (g)	9.07	12.3	6.15	2.71
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated (g)	1.82	2.47	1.24	0.55
18:2 (g)	1.67	2.28	1.14	0.50
18:3 (g)	0.13	0.17	0.09	0.04
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0	0	0
Stigmasterol (mg)	2.0	3.0	1.5	1.0
Campesterol (mg)	5.0	7.0	3.5	2.0
Beta-sitosterol (mg)	76.0	103	51.5	23.0

Table 2 Composition: Avocado compared to tree nut qualified health claims reference amount (edible portion) (USDA, 2011)

	Hass avocado	Almonds 1.5 oz	Pistachios 1.5 oz	Walnuts 1.5 oz
Nutrient	1 fruit (136 g)	(42.5 g)	(42.5 g)	(42.5 g)
Water (g)	98.4	1.1	0.8	1.7
Calories (kcal)	227	254	240	278
Calories (kcal) (insoluble fiber adjusted)	201	239	235	269
Total fat (g)	21.0	22.1	19.1	27.7
Monounsaturated fat (g)	13.3	13.8	10.1	3.8
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	2.5	5.5	5.7	20
Saturated fat (g)	2.9	1.7	2.3	2.6
Protein (g)	2.7	9.0	9.0	6.5
Total Carbohydrate (g)	11.8	9.0	12.2	5.8
Dietary fiber (g)	9.2	4.6	4.2	2.9
Potassium (mg)	690	303	450	188
Magnesium (mg)	39.0	120	48	68
Vitamin C (mg)	12.0	0.0	1.4	0.6
Folate (mcg)	121	23	21	42
Vitamin B-6 (mg)	0.4	0.05	0.5	0.2
Niacin (mg)	2.6	1.5	0.6	0.5
Riboflavin (mg)	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.06
Thiamin (mg)	0.1	0.04	0.3	0.15
Pantothenic acid (mg)	2.0	0.1	0.2	0.2
Vitamin K (ug)	28.6	0.0	6.3	1.2
Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol) (mg)	2.7	10.1	0.9	0.3
γ-Tocopherol (mg)	0.44	0.3	9.0	8.9
Lutein + zeaxanthin (ug)	369	0.0	494	4.5
Total phytosterols (mg)	113	54	123	30

Table 3 Avocado cardiovascular health clinical overview

Conclusions	Methods	Results	References
Daily addition of California avocados to the habitual diet showed a beneficial effect on total cholesterol (TC) and body weight control(Preliminary, uncontrolled study)	- Open label study for 4 weeks (n = 16) - Normal/hypercholesterolemic male patientsin Veteran's Administration Hospital - 27–72 yrs old - 0.5–1.5 California avocados per day inaddition to habitual diet	- 1/2 subjects had significantly lowered total cholesterol (TC) by 9–43% - 1/2 subjects had unchanged TC - No subjects had increased TC - 3/4 of subjects lost weight or remained weight stable despite an increase intake of calories and fat - Generally the subjects had a more regular bowel movement pattern	Grant, 1960
An avocado enriched diet (AE) was more effective than the AHA III diet in promoting heart healthy lipid profiles in women(Limited number of subjects and short duration)	- Randomized, crossover study for 3 weeks(n = 15)- Females w/ baseline total cholesterol(4–8 mm/L)- 37–58 years old- 66.8 ± 0.8 kg body weight- Two diets:(1) High MUFA primarily avocado diet (AE)or(2) High in complex carbohydrates low-fatdiet (AHA III)	- Both diets decreased total cholesterol (TC) compared to baseline- Avocado diets were more effective in decreasing TC 8.2% vs. 4.9%- LDL-C decreased (p < 0.05) on AE but not AHA III diet- HDL-C did not change on AE but decreased by 13.9% on the AHA III (p < 0.01)	Colquhoun et al., 1992
Avocado enriched diets can help avoid potential adverse effects of low-fat diets on HDL-C and triglycerides(Well designed study but limited number of subjects and short duration)	- Randomized, crossover study for 2 weeks(n = 16) - Healthy subjects baseline total cholesterol4.2 ± 0.68 mm/L; mean age 26 years;mean BMI 22.9 - Four diets: (1) Control, typical diet (2) MUFA fat diets with avocado (75% fromHass Avocados) (RMF) (3) Habitual diet plus same level of Hassavocados as (2) (FME) (4) Low-saturated diet (LSF)	- Both RMF and LSF diets had similar reductions in total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C - Both FME and LSF diets had significantly lower TC, LDL-C and HDL-C (p < 0.05) - RMF and FME diets lowered triglycerides (TG) and the LSF diet had significantly increased TG levels (p < 0.05)	Alvizouri-Munoz et al., 1992
Partial replacement of avocados for other dietary fats in patients with type 2 diabetes favorably affected serum lipid profile and maintained adequate glycemic control(Well designed study but limited number of subjects)	- Randomized, crossover study for 4 weeks(n = 12) - Women with type 2 diabetes; mean 56 ±8 years; BMI 28 ± 4 - Three diets (1) Control, American Diabetes Diet plan;30% kcal from fat (ADA) (2) High MUFA diet with 1 avocado (Hass)and 4 teaspoons of olive oil; 40% kcalfrom fat (HMUFA) (3) High in complex carbohydrates 20% Kcalfrom fat (High-CHO)	- Both HMUFA and High-CHO diets had a minor hypo-cholesterolemic effect with no changes in HDL-C - HMUFA diet was associated with a greater decrease in triglycerides (20 vs. 7% for High-CHO) - Glycemic control was similar for both HMUFA and High CHO diets	Lerman-Garber et al., 1994
Diets rich in avocados appear to help manage hyper-cholesterolemia(Well designed study but limited number of subjects and level of avocado consumption very high)	- Randomized crossover for study 4 weekswith a controlled diet (n = 16)- Hyper-cholesterolemic subjects withphenotype II and IV dyslipidemias - Two diets: (1) Avocado rich diet (75% fat fromavocado) diet (2) Low-saturated fat diet	The Avocado diet had significantly lowered total cholesterol, LDL-C levels, and increased HDL-C with a mild decrease in triglycerides compared the low-saturated fat diet plan	Carranza et al., 1995
Avocado-enriched diets had significantly improved lipoprotein and/or triglyceride profiles in normal and hyper-cholesterolemic subjects(Complex clinical design and very short duration)	- Randomized, controlled study for 7 days(n = 67) (1) Healthy normo-lipidemic subjects(<200 mg/dL) (2) Mild hyper-cholesterolemia and type 2diabetic patients (201–400 mg/dL) - Enriched avocado diet vs. isocaloricnon-avocado diets. 300 g Hass Avocadosubstituted for other lipid sources (bothdiets contained about 50% kcal from fat	- Subjects with normal cholesterol had a 16% decrease in serum total cholesterol following avocado diets vs. an increase in total cholesterol with the control (p < 0.001) - Subjects with elevated cholesterol had significant decrease (p < 0.001) total serum cholesterol (17%), LDL-C (22%), triglycerides (22%), and a slight increase in HDL-C - No changes with the non-avocado habitual diet	Lopez-Ledesma et al., 1996
Vegetarian diets with avocados promote healthier lipoprotein profiles compared to low-fat and vegetarian diets without avocados(Preliminary study with limited number of subjects)	- Randomized, prospective, transversal andcomparative 4 week study and controlleddiet (n = 13) - Dyslipidemic subjects with high bloodpressure - Three vegetarian diets: (1) 70% carbohydrate, 10% protein and 20%lipids (2) 60% carbohydrates, 10% protein and 30%lipids (75% of the fat from Hass avocados) (3) Diet 2 w/o avocado	The avocado diet significantly reduced LDL-C, whereas high carbohydrate and non-avocado diets did not change LDL-C	Carranza-Madrigal et al., 1997
The consumption of as much as 1 1/2 avocados within an energy-restricted diet does not compromise weight loss or lipoproteins or vascular function(Well designed study)	- Randomized, controlled, parallel study,free-living (n = 61) - Male (n = 13) and female (n = 48) adultswith a age 40.8 ± 8.9 years; BMI 32 ± 3.9 - Energy restricted diet for 6 weeks at therate of 30% kcal from fat - 200 g avocado/day (30.6 g fat) substitutedfor 30 g of mixed fat (e.g., margarine andvegetable oil) compared to a control dietwithout avocado	- There was no difference in body weight,BMI, and% body fat when avocados weresubstituted for mixed fats in an energyrestricted diet - There was also no difference in serum lipids(total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, andtriglycerides), fibrinogen, blood pressure, orblood flow when avocados were substitutedfor mixed fats in an energy-restricted diet	Pieterse et al., 2005

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