Research published by the Journal of the American Heart Association has determined that just one avocado a day can significantly reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a type of cholesterol carrier known to increase the risk of hardening of the arteries.

The researchers tested 45 overweight adults between 21 and 70 years old that followed an average American diet for two weeks before adopting one of three diets: a low-fat diet, a moderate-fat diet that included one Hass avocado per day or a moderate-fat diet without an avocado.

After five weeks, researchers found that the addition of the avocado reduced LDL significantly more than the diets that did not contain the fruit. While both the low-fat and moderate-fat diets reduced LDL levels, the moderate-fat diet with an avocado reduced LDL by better than 60 percent more than the moderate-fat diet alone, and above 80 percent more than the low-fat diet alone.