An eight-week trial found improved artery function among participants who ate both fruits daily, without weight gain or increased calorie intake. Researchers caution that the results are an early signal, not proof of long-term heart protection.
A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that eating an avocado and mango every day for eight weeks may improve a marker of blood-vessel function in adults with prediabetes, even though it did not lead to weight gain or a higher calorie intake. The trial, led by researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology, involved 82 adults who were overweight or had obesity and had been identified as being at elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Participants were randomly assigned either to a daily diet that included one medium Hass avocado and one cup of fresh mango or to a comparison plan built around foods with similar calories but less fat and fibre. The main measure was flow-mediated dilation, or FMD, which gauges how well an artery widens when blood flow increases and is widely used as an indicator of endothelial function, the health of the thin lining inside blood vessels. In the avocado-and-mango group, FMD improved over the study period, while the control group’s reading fell.
The researchers also reported a difference in central diastolic blood pressure among male participants, with readings falling in the fruit group and rising in the comparison group. But the pattern was not seen across the whole trial population, so the findings do not amount to proof that the fruit combination lowers blood pressure for everyone. Body weight and total energy intake were broadly unchanged in both groups, which matters because avocados are often seen as a calorie-dense food that people avoid when they are trying to manage their weight.
Even so, the study has clear limits. It lasted only eight weeks, focused on a specific group of adults with prediabetes, and was designed to assess risk markers rather than hard outcomes such as heart attacks or strokes. The paper reports no meaningful differences in blood glucose, inflammation or most other metabolic measures. The research received unrestricted support from the National Mango Board and the Hass Avocado Board, though the authors said the funders had no role in the study design or interpretation of results. An accompanying editorial in the journal said the findings are promising, but should be seen as an early signal rather than evidence of long-term cardiovascular protection.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
