Yes, when it replaces butter, cheese or mayonnaise. Eating avocado on top of an unchanged diet does very little for cholesterol.
Half an avocado has about 1.4 g of saturated fat, no cholesterol and 4.6 g of fibre, and two-thirds of its fat is monounsaturated. In a controlled feeding study, a daily avocado in a low saturated fat diet lowered LDL by 13.5 mg/dL, more than the same diet without it. But in a larger 6-month trial where people simply added an avocado a day to their usual diet, cholesterol barely moved. The benefit comes from the swap.
Avocado: nutrition per serving
| Food and serving | Sat fat | Cholesterol | Fibre | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avocado, half½ medium (68 g) · FDC 171705 | 1.4 g | 0 mg | 4.6 g | 109 |
| Avocado, US serving⅓ medium (50 g) · FDC 171705 | 1.1 g | 0 mg | 3.4 g | 80 |
| Avocado, whole (as in the trials)1 Hass (136 g) · FDC 171705 | 2.9 g | 0 mg | 9.1 g | 218 |
| Avocado oil1 tbsp (14 g) · FDC 173573 | 1.6 g | 0 mg | 0 g | 124 |
| Butter, for comparison2 tsp (10 g) · FDC 173410 | 5.1 g | 22 mg | 0 g | 72 |
Half an avocado has about 10 g of fat, of which 6.7 g is monounsaturated. USDA does not split avocado fibre into soluble and insoluble. Source: USDA FoodData Central (public domain); search the FDC number to see the full record. Values are rounded and vary by brand and recipe.
Avocado vs butter on toast
Half an avocado mashed on toast uses about 11% of a 13 g saturated fat day. Two teaspoons of butter, a normal amount for one slice, use about 40%. That swap is where avocado earns its reputation.
Bars show each serving against about 13 g a day, the American Heart Association's target (under 6% of 2,000 calories) for people lowering LDL. Work out your own number with the saturated fat calculator.
Two trials, two different answers
The swap trial (2015). At Penn State, 45 adults with overweight or obesity ate three cholesterol-lowering diets for 5 weeks each, all providing just 6 to 7% of calories from saturated fat. One was lower in fat. Two were moderate in fat and matched for fatty acids: one included a fresh Hass avocado every day, the other used high-oleic oils instead. Compared with their usual diet:
- the avocado diet lowered LDL by 13.5 mg/dL (about 0.35 mmol/L)
- the matched oil diet lowered it by 8.3 mg/dL
- the lower-fat diet lowered it by 7.4 mg/dL
Only the avocado diet also reduced the number of LDL particles and small, dense LDL. So something in avocado beyond its fat, perhaps fibre or plant sterols, seemed to add a little.
The add-on trial (2022). The Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial gave 1,008 adults with a large waist one avocado a day for 6 months, with no other diet changes, and compared them with people eating as usual. Avocado didn't reduce belly fat, and the authors described the effect on cardiometabolic risk factors as minimal, with only modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol.
The lesson: avocado helps cholesterol as part of a diet low in saturated fat, especially in place of butter, cheese, cream or fatty meat. Added to an unchanged diet, it's mostly extra calories.
Swaps that use avocado well
- Mashed on toast instead of butter, or with a poached egg instead of bacon.
- In sandwiches and wraps instead of mayonnaise or cheese.
- Guacamole as a dip instead of sour cream or a cheese dip. Shop-bought versions vary, so check the label.
- In salads instead of cheese or a creamy dressing.
- In desserts: chocolate avocado mousse replaces cream.
- Avocado oil for cooking has a similar fat profile to olive oil. See the best oils for high cholesterol.
How much is sensible?
Half an avocado a day is a sensible amount for most people, at about 110 calories. A whole one, as in the trials, is about 220 calories, which adds up if you're also trying to lose weight. Weight loss on its own improves triglycerides and, to a smaller degree, LDL, so don't let avocado push your calories up.
General information, not medical advice
This page is for education and doesn't diagnose or treat anything. If you have high cholesterol, take medication or have another health condition, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Frequently asked questions
Do avocados lower cholesterol?
They can, as part of a diet low in saturated fat. In a 5-week feeding trial, a daily avocado lowered LDL by 13.5 mg/dL, more than a matched diet using oils. But adding an avocado a day to a normal diet for 6 months, without other changes, had little effect on cholesterol.
Do avocados have cholesterol?
No. Avocados are a plant food, so they contain no cholesterol. Half an avocado has about 1.4 g of saturated fat, and most of its fat is monounsaturated.
How much avocado should I eat a day with high cholesterol?
Half an avocado a day is a sensible amount, at about 110 calories and 1.4 g of saturated fat. Use it in place of butter, cheese or mayonnaise rather than as an extra.
Is guacamole good for cholesterol?
Plain guacamole made from avocado, lime, onion, tomato and chilli is low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol. It is a good swap for sour cream or cheese dips. Check shop-bought versions, which sometimes add cream or cheese.
Is avocado oil good for cholesterol?
Yes. A tablespoon has about 1.6 g of saturated fat, similar to olive oil and far less than butter (7.2 g) or coconut oil. It is a good choice for cooking, though it lacks the fibre in whole avocado.
Scan or log avocado in Heart Tracker
Search for avocado and log the amount you eat, by weight or portion. Heart Tracker counts the saturated fat and fibre, so you can see what swapping butter for avocado on your toast does to your daily total.
Download Heart Tracker FreeRelated guides
Sources
- Wang L, et al. Effect of a moderate fat diet with and without avocados on lipoprotein particle number, size and subclasses in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015;4(1):e001355.
- Lichtenstein AH, et al. Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day versus habitual diet on visceral adiposity: a randomized trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(14):e025657.
- USDA FoodData Central: avocados, raw, all commercial varieties (FDC 171705); oil, avocado (173573); butter, salted (173410).
- American Heart Association: Saturated fat.