Avocados may be the secret to lowering bad cholesterol, according to a new study. 

A team of researchers from Penn State University recruited 45 healthy participants aged 21-70 years who were either obese or overweight for the study. They assessed how avocado consumption affects the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, reported Medical News Today. 

The researchers put the participants on three different diets with a "fatty American" diet in between.

The three diets tested consisted of a lower-fat diet without avocado, a moderate-fat diet without avocado or a moderate-fat diet with one Hass avocado a day. 

The study found that a moderate-fat diet with one avocado a day lowered "bad" cholesterol by 13.5 mg/dL, according to Medical News Today. 

"We need to focus on getting people to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes avocados and other nutrient-rich food sources of better fats," senior author Penny M. Kris-Etherton wrote in the study.

"In the United States avocados are not a mainstream food yet, and they can be expensive, especially at certain times of the year. Also, most people do not really know how to incorporate them in their diet except for making guacamole. But guacamole is typically eaten with corn chips, which are high in calories and sodium. Avocados, however, can also be eaten with salads, vegetables, sandwiches, lean protein foods (like chicken or fish) or even whole."

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.