Researchers have found that the potassium-rich avocado, which we lovingly smear onto toast, is great for heart health - but exclusively in women. 

The study was conducted by Dutch researchers, and uncovered the benefits of consuming an extra 1g of potassium per day, found roughly in one avocado, helps the body in a multitude of ways.

If avocado isn’t your thing, a similar amount of potassium is also found in three bananas or three cups of milk (375mg each).

Potassium helps the body pass sodium in urine, controlling the balance of fluids in the body.

The study was longitudinal, tracking nearly 25,000 people for almost 20 years.

Participants were aged between 40 and 79 when the project commenced.

Volunteers were grouped by how much potassium they ate per day, ranging from low to high.

World Health Organisation guidelines say that adults should eat 3.5g per day.

Every gram increase in daily potassium was linked with a 2.4mmHg drop in blood pressure.

Professor Liffert Vogt, a medical specialist at Amsterdam University Medical Centres, said: “Our findings indicate that a heart healthy diet goes beyond limiting salt to boosting potassium content.

“We should all prioritise fresh, unprocessed foods since they are both rich in potassium and low in salt.”

However, researchers found the benefits were only marked in female participants, and the study did not yet provide a detailed explanation for the findings.