Avocado and Mango Diet Shows Promising Blood Pressure Benefits in Eight-Week Study

Could eating mango and avocado every day help improve heart health without causing weight gain? A new clinical study suggests that combining these two nutrient-rich fruits in the daily diet may improve blood vessel function and blood pressure among adults with prediabetes.

Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study conducted by researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology investigated the cardiovascular effects of regular mango and avocado consumption.

Researchers enrolled 82 adults aged 25 to 60 years who had prediabetes and were classified as having overweight or obesity.

Participants followed calorie-controlled diets for eight weeks. One group consumed one medium Hass avocado and one cup of fresh mango daily, while the comparison group received carbohydrate-based foods containing equivalent calories.

The researchers assessed blood vessel function, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and other metabolic indicators.

The findings revealed that participants consuming mango and avocado experienced improvements in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of how effectively blood vessels expand in response to increased blood flow.

Importantly, FMD increased to 6.7% in the mango-avocado group, compared with 4.6% in the control group.

Researchers also observed improvements in blood pressure, particularly among male participants.

Men consuming mango and avocado experienced an average reduction of approximately 1.9 mmHg in central blood pressure, while those in the control group showed an increase of around 5 mmHg.

Interestingly, these cardiovascular improvements occurred without significant changes in body weight or total calorie intake.

Participants consuming the fruits also reported higher dietary intake of fibre, vitamin C and monounsaturated fats, nutrients associated with cardiovascular health.

However, the intervention did not produce significant improvements in blood glucose, cholesterol levels or inflammatory markers.

Researchers emphasised that the study lasted only eight weeks and assessed cardiovascular risk indicators rather than actual heart attacks or strokes.

REFERENCE: Chelsea Preiss, et al.; Effects of Increasing Total Fruit Intake With Avocado and Mango on Endothelial Function and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Adults With Prediabetes. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2026; 15 (4) DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.124.040933