Avocados May Help Combat Metabolic Syndrome: Review

11 Apr 2017 --- A new review has summarized different in vivo, in vitro and clinical studies to find out avocado's pharmacological effects on different components of metabolic syndrome. The review found that avocados have beneficial effects on lipid profiles, with changes to LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol and phospholipids

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is "a clustering of risk factors including high blood glucose, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity that lead to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are among leading causes of death in the world,” the authors of the review write.

According to studies reported in the literature, the peel, seed, flesh and leaves of avocados have differing effects on components of metabolic syndrome. 

"Avocado is a well-known source of carotenoids, minerals, phenolics, vitamins, and fatty acids," the authors write. "The lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic, and cardioprotective effects of avocado have been demonstrated in several studies."

The authors conclude in their article that “satisfactory clinical evidence suggested that avocado can be used as herbal dietary supplements for treatment of different components of MetS,” but added that “there is limited scientific evidence to evaluate different side effects because of contaminants, or interactions with drugs. Besides, further studies need to be accomplished on the metabolic effects of different parts of avocado for other possible mechanisms."

The review was published in Phytotherapy Research on 10 April.