The avocado's high monounsaturated fat content benefits arteries. It improves the all-important ratio of good HDL cholesterol to bad LDL cholesterol. Eating more monounsaturated fat, studies show, often benefits people with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The avocado diet reduced total cholesterol 8 percent compared with 5 percent for the low-fat diet. Most important, avocados improved the good HDL-cholesterol ratio 15 percent.
Free radicals promote aging and chronic diseases such as cancer.
Glutathione specifically blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that create free radicals. Hold an avocado in your palm and gently press. If the flesh feels soft, it's ripe. If a dent remains, it's too ripe to slice but may be OK to mash. Shun a very soft, shriveled, blackened avocado.