Avocados are packed with nutrients and have many potential health benefits, including for heart, bone, and digestive health.
A recent study published in Current Developments in Nutrition evaluated how eating a daily avocado affected glycemic load.
Glycemic load has to do with how specific amounts of specific foods influence blood sugar. As noted in the current study, diets with lower glycemic load may help with diabetes prevention, as well as decrease risk for certain cancers and all-cause mortality.
The study confirmed that eating a daily avocado helped to lower dietary glycemic load, pointing to another potential health benefit of avocados.
This particular study was a secondary analysis of another trial called the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial. This trial divided participants into two groups, with one group consuming a large avocado each day and the other group following their normal diet.
However, the control group was also instructed to have two or fewer avocados each month. This intervention lasted 6 months.
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Participants all had an elevated waist circumference and were 25 years old or older. Aside from the avocado intervention, with avocados provided, researchers instructed participants to continue their normal lifestyle and diet.
The avocado group did have a higher level of certain nutrients in their diets, like fiber and total fat, but also consumed lower amounts of animal protein. Carbohydrates also made up less of their energy intake.
Throughout the intervention, researchers conducted dietary recalls. Based on data from three 24-hour dietary recalls, researchers averaged participants’ daily glycemic index and glycemic load.
Glycemic index considers how blood sugar increases after eating a food in comparison to a reference food like sugar.
The final analysis included a total of 961 participants, which excluded participants with missing data. Researchers adjusted for various factors in their analysis, including body mass index, education level, and ethnicity.
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The findings showed a distinct benefit for the avocado intervention group. This group had lower dietary glycemic load compared to the control group, even though glycemic index measurements were about the same.
When looking at how certain food groups contributed to glycemic load, the major difference between the two groups was the avocados.
Emily Lantz, PhD, a nutritionist at UTMB, who was not involved in this research, noted that: “In this study, consuming a single avocado once a day lowered the overall glycemic load. It highlights that making simple choices to regularly include healthy foods may make a difference on health.”
The study authors note that avocados contain a high amount of fiber, and the boost in fiber consumption could be part of the reason that participants experienced a lower dietary glycemic load. Another reason for the lower glycemic load could also be the fat present in avocados.
The funding for this study came from the Hass Avocado Board, although this group was not involved in collecting the data or writing the study.
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Since this is a secondary analysis, any limitations from the original trial are worth considering. For example, the principal investigator of the original trial could exclude participants based on their judgment, which could introduce possible bias.
Furthermore, researchers evaluated diet based on participant recall, which could be inaccurate, and certain covariate data was also based on participant reporting.
Another consideration is the sample group. For example, 73% of the group was female, over half were white, and the group also included only overweight or obese individuals. More research in other groups may be helpful and there should be caution in generalizing the results.
Researchers note that glycemic index and glycemic load also have limitations, including certain variations that can happen.
It is possible that researchers did not account for additional factors that could have contributed to the results. It’s also worth considering that the benefits don’t necessarily come from consuming avocados, but rather thanks to a conjunction of factors, which the authors do discuss.
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The study authors do note that, while it didn’t reach a level of statistical significance, the avocado group saw a decrease in the amount that dairy, sweets, and desserts contributed to glycemic load.
This suggests a change in the source of participants’ carbohydrate consumption. The authors suggest that the lower dietary glycemic load could partly be explained by a lower intake of carbohydrates in the intervention group and how avocados may limit the total number of carbohydrates available in participants’ diets.
Registered dietitian, Karen Z. Berg, MS, CDN, who was not involved in the research, also noted the following to Medical News Today:
“Avocados are a nutrient-dense food and have many health benefits. They are high in calories, monounsaturated fats, and fiber. Avocados are very filling, so when people eat more avocados, they are likely eating less of other foods that are possibly less healthy. This could be why this study had such positive outcomes.”
Overall, the research suggests another potential benefit that avocados may have to offer. The study authors suggest that eating avocados could help with people’s dietary patterns.
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Researchers also note that the intervention was simple, making it something that could be realistically maintained.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be major changes to dietary recommendations. Lantz noted that:
“The researchers calculated glycemic load (GL) and glycemic index (GI), which are estimates of how blood sugar goes up after a meal based on the amount and quality of carbohydrate in a meal. Lower glycemic load and glycemic index have been associated with better weight loss outcomes and blood sugar control in diabetics. However, the overall evidence is not strong enough for low GI/GL foods to be part of national recommendations for lifestyle modifications.”
Overall, people who want to incorporate avocados more into their daily diets can work with professionals like nutrition experts to get appropriate guidance.
They can discuss possible benefits and how avocados can be part of a healthy diet that incorporates other essential components as well.
