Avocados May Prevent Several Types of Diseases, Aid in Weight Loss

Regular consumption of avocados may prevent several types of diseases and may also be helpful in weight loss, a recent study finds.

The fruit has also been found effective in curbing appetite and stopping cravings. Researchers involved in the study confirmed that if overweight people ate half an avocado with their lunch, they are less likely to want to snack after their lunches. Scientists involved in the study think that their discovery may help with weight management as well as avoid certain types of diseases like type 2 diabetes.

"Satiety is an important factor in weight management, because people who feel satisfied are less likely to snack in between meals," lead researcher Dr. Joan Sabate, chair of the department of nutrition at Loma Linda University said. "We also noted that though adding avocados increased participants' calorie and carbohydrate intake at lunch, there was no increase in blood sugar levels beyond what was observed after eating standard lunch."

In their study published in the Nutrition Journal, the researchers took 26 overweight, but otherwise healthy people who snacked on the fruit daily. Results showed reduce in blood sugar and insulin responses, which have been linked to the urge to snack. 40 percent of the people who were tested confirmed not having the urge to snack for three hours after eating the fruit and 28 percent reported not being hungry five hours afterwards.

"These research findings provide support for the emerging benefits of avocados," said Nicki Ford, director of Hass Avocado Board. "These results further complement our research efforts in weight management and diabetes as well as our continued work to explore the many benefits that fresh avocados have to offer when consumed in everyday healthy eating plans," he added.