Looking for an easy way to help clients swap out ‘bad’ fats for ‘good’ fats when building a burger? Try topping burgers with that good fat (but still creamy) swap: fresh avocado, over other toppers higher in saturated fat. Over 75% of the fat in avocados is good fat, with one-third of a medium avocado providing 5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat. Avocados can also fit within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend replacing saturated fat with better-for-you unsaturated fats to maintain/lower LDL cholesterol levels.
A pilot study conducted at UCLA, “Hass Avocado Modulates Postprandial Vascular Reactivity and Postprandial Inflammatory Responses to a Hamburger Meal in Healthy Volunteers,” investigated the effects of adding one-half of a fresh medium avocado to a hamburger on peripheral arterial blood flow and inflammation compared to a burger without avocado.
The findings?
- After eating a burger with one-half of a fresh avocado, some of the after-meal effects observed after eating a plain burger, specifically inflammation and narrowing blood vessels, were reduced within hours.
- Researchers found that the addition of fresh avocado to a burger may neutralize Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein that is a measure of inflammation.
- After four hours:
- IL-6 levels significantly increased after the plain burger was eaten (approx. 70% increase)
- IL-6 levels were significantly neutralized after consuming the burger with fresh avocado (approx. 40% increase)
While these are initial findings from a single study, they provide promising clues and a basis for future research to determine whether avocados can play a role in the areas of vascular health and heart health.
For more information, check out the scientific summary, or find the full study here.
This is how we top our burgers. Share this recipe with your clients and have them try it, too.
