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Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.
Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.
Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global’s LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women’s health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.
Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy’s 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.
A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded ‘Best Topical News Show’ and the runner up award for ‘Best New Radio Show’ on the network.
She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Languages: English, Persian.
You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing m.afshar@newsweek.com.
You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.
Life and Trends Reporter
In news that may have many a millennial lunging for a slice of toast, eating an avocado a day has been linked to better sleep and boosted heart health as a result.
Analysis of the largest randomized controlled trial on avocado consumption to date found a link between eating the fruit daily and improved sleep duration, despite the study being designed really to explore the superfood’s impact on general health.
The study had been supported by the Avocado Nutrition Center and marks the first time avocado intake has been associated with better sleep.
“Sleep is emerging as a key lifestyle factor in heart health, and this study invites us to consider how nutrition—and foods like avocado—can play a role in improving it,” said paper author and nutritional sciences professor Kristina Petersen of Penn State University in a statement.
“Cardiovascular health is influenced by many factors, and while no single food is a silver bullet, some—like avocados—offer a range of nutrients that support multiple aspects of heart health.”
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Lisa Moskovitz, a registered dietitian and CEO at The NY Nutrition Group, spoke with Newsweek about the findings, giving avocados her seal of approval too.
“Avocados are a superfood offering an assortment of heart-healthy nutrients—from cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats and fiber to blood pressure-regulating potassium and magnesium,” she said. “There is a lot going on in a relatively small package.
“I always recommend this Mediterranean staple to my clients as part of a wholesome, healthy and disease-fighting balanced diet.”
The study involved 969 racially and ethnically diverse American adults, all with elevated waist circumferences—a cardiovascular risk factor that affects nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults.
Participants were randomized into two groups: one group consumed one avocado per day while the other had fewer than two avocados per month. Both groups otherwise maintained their usual diets over a six-month period.
Although sleep was not the intended focus of the trial, the team’s analysis revealed that those in the daily avocado group self-reported longer sleep durations.
This finding adds to the growing scientific consensus around the fruit’s health-promoting potential.
Crucially, it also connects avocado intake to one of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8™—a set of key health behaviors and clinical measures that promote optimal cardiovascular health.
Alongside sleep, the Essential 8 includes diet quality, physical activity, nicotine exposure, body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose.
While the study showed modest reductions in LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, and an increase in overall diet quality measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2015, there were no significant effects on the other Essential 8 components.
However, the researchers note that this avenue—avocados and sleep—is ripe for future exploration.
Why Do Avocados Improve Sleep?
Avocados contain several nutrients that may play a role in sleep regulation. One-third of a medium avocado delivers 13 milligrams of tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.
It also contains 45 micrograms of folate, essential for melatonin production, and 15 milligrams of magnesium, which contributes to muscle relaxation and, as a result, improves sleep quality.
Then there is the fruit’s signature nutrient profile: 3 grams of fiber—one-third of which is soluble fiber known to reduce cholesterol—and 5 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about heart health? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Damani, J. J., Kris‐Etherton, P. M., Lichtenstein, A. H., Matthan, N. R., Sabaté, J., Li, Z., Reboussin, D., & Petersen, K. S. (2025). Effect of Daily Avocado Intake on Cardiovascular Health Assessed by Life’s Essential 8: An Ancillary Study of HAT, a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.124.039130
