Avocado toast has become a favorite breakfast of the healthy and fit. Avocados are rich in dietary fiber and healthy unsaturated fats, and are a good source of vitamins C and E, and minerals such as potassium. They are also naturally cholesterol-free.

Research now suggests they may help protect your heart. Researchers found that people who ate half an avocado twice a week had a 21 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to people who never or rarely ate the fruit.

For the study, researchers collected data on more than 110,000 men and women who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study (nearly 69,000 women) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (nearly 42,000 men).

They found that replacing half a serving daily of margarine, butter, eggs, yogurt, cheese, or processed meats with the same amount of avocado lowered the risk for cardiovascular disease by 16 percent to 22 percent. Substituting half a serving a day of avocado for olive oil, nuts or other plant oils showed no additional benefit, the researchers noted.

They also found the risk for stroke was not changed, regardless of how much avocado a person ate.

“This study provides further evidence that the intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and is an important component in cardiovascular disease prevention in the general population,” said lead researcher Lorena Pacheco, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.