Eating an avocado a day may keep your blood sugar at bay

A secondary analysis of the landmark Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (HAT) found that daily consumption of fresh avocado significantly reduced dietary glycemic load (GL), a measure of how the quantity and quality of carbohydrates in the overall diet influence blood sugar response. Diets lower in GL have been associated with improved glycemic response as well as a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic risk factors related to diabetes. This study presents rare and encouraging evidence that consistently adding one nutrient-dense food, like avocado, can have a meaningful impact on health, offering a straightforward and sustainable way to improve healthy living even during a busy season like summer.

Implications for Health

Type 2 diabetes is a nationwide epidemic. While several factors play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, this research suggests that lowering dietary GL may be possible through enjoyable food choices rather than highly restrictive dietary approaches. Recently published in Current Developments in Nutrition, a journal of the American Society for Nutrition, this study stands out for those seeking better health through small, manageable habits as few studies have explored the effect of changing one single food on the overall dietary GL.

A Look at the Methodology

The study included over 1,000 adults (73% female, average age of 50) with elevated waist circumference, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Over a six-month period, half the participants kept to their usual diet with allowance for limited avocado consumption (no more than two per month) while the other half of participants were randomly assigned to make one small, consistent change: add one large avocado to their daily eating habits. Participants otherwise maintained their usual eating habits, with no requirement to reduce calories or carbohydrates or avoid specific foods.

"Changing lifestyle habits, especially eating patterns, can be daunting," said Sujatha Rajaram, PhD, professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the senior researcher of this study. "After adopting this simple change for the six-month period, participants who consumed avocados showed an impressive, significant reduction in dietary GL by nearly 14 points compared to the control group. These findings suggest a good starting point could be as simple and sustainable as regularly adding one, nutrient-dense food like avocado to your diet."

The study, supported by the Avocado Nutrition Center, is one of many contributing to the growing body of evidence supporting why eating one avocado a day is a healthy habit. While more research is needed before these results can be generalized to larger, more diverse populations, the latest findings underscore the value of healthy avocados in reducing risk factors for type 2 diabetes through their unique nutrient profile including the following per serving (1/3 of a medium avocado):

• Healthy unsaturated fats (6 g) and a good source of fiber (3g): both of which slow digestion and the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to moderate blood sugar responses following a meal
• Naturally sugar-free: unlike most other fruits, avocados contain zero grams of sugar

Recipes ready for summer dining and beyond, can be found at LoveOneToday.com/recipes. Whether chopped, sliced, mashed, blended, or frozen, avocados make it easy to build small, repeatable, healthy habits into any meal of the day