Effects of Avocado When Added to a Meat Patty on Inflammation in Healthy Men

Avocados are naturally rich in antioxidants, or beneficial compounds, that can help prevent many diseases, like atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). When foods that are high in fats are eaten, certain harmful compounds can be absorbed, which can lead to atherosclerosis. One harmful compound is called malondialdehyde, or MDA. This compound can be measured in the blood and the urine after a person eats a high fat meal. Antioxidants found in herbs and spices may lower the absorption of MDA, which could help prevent the development of atherosclerosis. This study will determine whether the beneficial compounds of avocado can reduce absorption of MDA. This will be tested by asking healthy males to eat a high fat ground beef patty with or without avocado and then measuring the amount of MDA in their blood and urine samples. Blood flow will also be measured. Healthy men have been chosen for this study because eating high fat hamburger patties can easily mimic in them the condition that causes atherosclerosis. Avocados are rich in antioxidants, which have been shown in previous studies to reduce the absorption of harmful compounds, like MDA, that are formed during cooking. The results from this study may help to explain how high fat foods can be harmful to the body and how beneficial antioxidants from herbs and spices can protect the body. This will be determined from blood and urine samples after the subjects are given two different meals: a) a plain cooked ground beef patty, and b) or avocado with a cooked ground beef patty.