Can an Avocado a Day Help With Weight Loss?
I must admit I am a big fan of avocado’s, I love the flavor, the texture and most importantly the immense health benefits to be gained by eating this amazing fruit.
But can adding avocado to a meal help with weight loss?
Firstly lets examine the health benefits we do know about:-
- Avocados are nutrient rich
- Avocados are rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Although most of the calories in an avocado come from fat, they are beneficial fats that help to keep you full and satiated. When you consume fat, your brain receives a signal to turn off your appetite. Eating fat slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, which helps to keep sugar levels in the blood stable.
However, if you are on a weight loss diet I am sure you have be warned of the high calories and fat content of an avocado and will therefore shy away from eating too many, or too much. There may be good news though, as according to clinical research on overweight adults published in the Nutrition Journal, there certainly seems some really great reasons for adding avocado to your diet on a regular basis.
The study was a randomized crossover study that included 26 healthy, overweight adults. Results showed that the participants said they felt more satiated after consuming lunch with one half of an avocado added to it compared to a lunch without avocado. Whilst the addition of avocado admittedly added more calories to their lunch the blood sugar levels and insulin response were both lower after the avocado lunch than they were after the non-avocado lunch.
Whilst the study was funded by the Hass Avocado Board, the results were interesting and it could be a path to further investigation on the role of avocado on human health risks such as metabolic syndrome, insulin levels, blood sugar control and weight management.
Let’s hope more studies are performed so we can all enjoy the “alligator pear or butter fruit” (as it can often be referred to) without the guilt.