Avocado
including guacamole. Fats & nuts.
- Verdict
- Mixed effectsIt seems to lower risk of some cancers and may raise risk of others.
- How sure
- Rung 2 · LimitedFew, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Total, colorectal, lung, bladder (men); breast (one group of women)
What the evidence shows
In large U.S. cohorts, men who ate at least one serving a week had 15% lower total cancer and lower colorectal, lung and bladder cancer. In older women, avocado was linked to 21% higher breast cancer risk, but not in a second, younger group of women, and no link with total cancer was found in women. These are observational findings from one study.
What to do
A healthy food to enjoy, but not a cancer remedy. Avocados are often promoted for glutathione; glutathione pills are rated separately.
Sources
Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll check it against the sources.
Step by step
For the whole picture, from prevention and screening to treatment and life after, see the breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer pages.