One avocado a day (for twelve weeks) can change the distribution of body fat. If you’re looking for one more reason to eat avocado toast, guacamole and poke bowl, you’ve just found it: a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign trial just showed that superfruit can reduce visceral fat more profound, especially in women with weight problems. The research, funded by the Hass Avocado Board, was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Although not rich in sugars, avocado is highly caloric and rich in omega3, poorly soluble fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins C, E and K as well as potassium, even in greater quantities than bananas. To test its metabolic properties, one hundred and five adults with overweight and obesity participated in a randomized study that involved taking one avocado a day for 12 weeks: “The goal was not weight loss, but we were interested in understanding how people stored body fat, “explains Professor Naiman Khan of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health. This is because “the position of fat in the body plays an important role in health“: a too large waist increases the risk of another heart attack in patients who have already had one and exposes them more to stroke. What we are now used to define metabolic syndrome.
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Fat in the abdomen
“There are two types of fat in the abdomen: the one that accumulates right under the skin, called subcutaneous fat, and the one deeper, more dangerous because it surrounds the internal organs. Individuals with a higher proportion of visceral fat tend to also have a higher risk of developing diabetes. So we were interested in determining whether the ratio of subcutaneous to visceral fat changed with the consumption of avocado. ” And the results of a regular intake speak for themselves: “Women who consumed avocado as part of their daily meal showed a reduction in visceral abdominal fat.”
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More effective on women
The participants were divided into two groups. The former received meals that incorporated a fresh avocado, while the other received a meal with nearly identical ingredients and equal calories, but without the avocado. At the beginning and end of the 12 weeks, the researchers measured the participants’ abdominal fat and metabolism, as well as their glucose tolerance, which is a significant marker for diabetes. “Female participants who regularly ate avocado showed a beneficial reduction in visceral abdominal fat and deep to subcutaneous fat ratio, indicating positive redistribution away from the organs. However, fat distribution in men. has not changed and none of the participants achieved improvements in glucose tolerance. It is important to demonstrate that dietary interventions can modulate the distribution of body fat. Knowing that the benefits are only evident in women tells us more about the potential that gender plays. in these dietary responses “.
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Research goes on
The researchers now hope to conduct a follow-up study based on the participants’ regular daily meals, with and without avocados. “Our research not only sheds light on the benefits of daily avocado consumption and the different types of fat distribution between the sexes, but it provides us with a basis for further work to understand the full impact avocados have on body fat and body fat. human health “. This is why they will examine “additional indicators on intestinal and physical health, to get a more complete picture of the metabolic effects of consuming this fruit and determine other differences between the sexes. Continuing the research – concludes the co-author Richard Mackenzie – We will be able to get a clearer picture of which types of people would benefit most from incorporating avocados into their diets and provide valuable data to healthcare professionals on how to reduce fat accumulation and the potential dangers to diabetes. “
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