According to Newsweek, a new study might just validate your avocado toast addiction. Potassium, contained in avocados and also bananas, could help prevent and treat heart disease.
Arteries can stiffen as we age, and that rigidness is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. As we become less resilient, so do our arteries. Heart disease kills an estimated one in four Americans each year.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham wanted to see if potassium, a mineral common in our diets, might help keep arteries flexible. The team used mice engineered to be susceptible to heart disease when consuming a high-fat diet, according to a release. The animals were given minimal, average or large amounts of potassium.
Heart scans showed that mice given the least amount of potassium had harder arteries and stiffer aortas compared to those given more potassium. Under the microscope, the arteries from the high-potassium mice were less constricted than those of the other animals. The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, show a causative link—in mice—between potassium and healthy arteries, the researchers say.
Avocados are high in potassium, which could lead to healthier arteries and heart health.
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Because the study was conducted in animals, it’s impossible to say whether the findings are relevant to humans. But study author Yabing Chen, a molecular and cellular pathologist, believes they are meaningful.