SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles® ) –  From Safeway to Whole Foods to Trader Joe’s, avocados have disappeared from grocery shelves, and the situation has created a severe shortage of guacamole  in California.

Taquerias have been serving salsa with their corn chips, minus the guacamole. The Chipotle restaurant chain has set a limit of one teaspoon of guacamole on the side for each of their popular menus. Subway has crossed out ‘avocado’ from their menu marquee.

So what’s happening?

Well, it turns out that the guacamole shortage began shortly after a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association concluded that contrary to popular belief, avocados help reduce cholesterol. Many people avoid avocados, thinking they’re too fattening and 
that they raise blood 
cholesterol.

Though avocados are high in calories for a fruit (110 to 180 per half, depending on the variety), that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily gain weight if you eat them. And though it’s true that avocados have a lot of fat (10 to 15 grams per half), the fat—like that in olive and canola oils—is predominantly monounsaturated fat, which doesn’t raise blood cholesterol. In fact, avocados may actually help reduce cholesterol, according to the study.

As a result, heart-healthy Californians have been buying avocados in bulk from Costco, Safeway and other grocery stores.

Consequently, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and other pharmacies have noticed a significant decline in customers filling their prescriptions for lovastatin and othe cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Governor Jerry Brown has called for an emergency meeting in Sacramento this morning to address the guacamole shortage. Among the measures Brown is expected to announce is the plan to increase the state’s avocado imports from Mexico.

Expect Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to oppose the importation. The last thing Trump would like to see are Mexican avocados crossing the border into California.