Avocado

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels³

  People eating avocado had lower total and LDL cholesterol than those on other diets.

• Benefit

  Infant feeding needs⁴

  Avocados are low in sugar and high in fiber, making them a good first food for babies.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood vessel health⁵

  Eating Hass avocado daily improved cholesterol and blood fat levels in overweight adults with high cholesterol.

• Open question

  Heart health⁶

  Early studies suggest avocados may help cholesterol levels, but scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Benefit

  Vitamin A from food⁷

  Eating avocado with tomatoes or carrots helped people absorb more and turn more of it into vitamin A.

• No harm found

  Weight and waist size⁹

  In Hispanic/Latina women, eating one avocado a day for six months did not change weight or waist size.

• Benefit

  Diabetes risk in women¹⁰

  In Mexican women, eating avocado was linked to lower diabetes risk, but no link was seen in men.

• No harm found

  Colorectal cancer risk¹¹

  Eating avocados or guacamole was not linked to colorectal cancer risk in this large study of people.

• Benefit

  Teen diet quality¹²

  Teens who ate avocado had better diet quality, but avocado was not linked to weight or body fat.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol and genes¹⁴

  Eating avocado daily may lower cholesterol in some people, but genes seem to affect how much.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and blood vessels¹⁵

  In people, eating avocado with a meal lowered blood sugar and insulin and improved blood vessel widening.

• Benefit

  Appetite and fullness¹⁶

  Adding half a Hass avocado to lunch left overweight adults feeling fuller and wanting to eat less.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Heart and metabolic health¹⁷

  Avocados hold unsaturated fats, fiber and plant compounds that scientists are still studying for heart and metabolic health.

• Open question

  Heart and gut health¹⁸

  Avocado contains fats and fiber that studies link to heart and gut effects.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Food poisoning risk¹³

  In people, avocados were possibly or likely linked to listeria in three clusters, but more research is needed.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Blood pressure spike⁸

  A man on tranylcypromine had a sudden blood pressure spike after eating avocados.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.