Avocado

Keeping ‘bad cholesterol’ at bay may be as simple as consuming one avocado a day, according to the results of research conducted by scientists at Pennsylvania State University. Specifically, the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that daily avocado consumption helped reduce LDL particles that had been oxidized.

“A lot of research points to oxidation being the basis for conditions like cancer and heart disease,” said study coauthor Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition, in a press release. “We know that when LDL particles become oxidized, that starts a chain reaction that can promote atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of plaque in the artery wall. Oxidation is not good, so if you can help protect the body through the foods that you eat, that could be very beneficial.”