Avocados aren’t merely a Mexican food staple. These key ingredients of guacamole contain healthy fats that can help combat cholesterol-related heart risks, new research shows.

In a new analysis if 10 studies, published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, University of the Pacific researchers found people who eat at least one avocado every day — in place of other sources of saturated fat — were able to lower their total cholesterol, as well as levels of "bad" low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and dangerous triglycerides.

Additionally, avocado consumption did not lower "good" high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL).

"Interestingly, our results indicate that even healthy subjects with a relatively normal baseline total cholesterol (100 to 240 mg/dL), LDL (75 to 150 mg/dL), and (glycerides — 50 to 175 mg/dL) had significant reductions," says Sachin Shah, a researcher and cardiovascular health expert.