Avocados: Weight Loss Friend or Foe?
"Avocados may help manage obesity, prevent diabetes."
Well, that's undoubtedly good news.
According to a new study by a University of Guelph research team, avocatin B (AvoB), a fat molecule found only in avocados, counters incomplete oxidation in skeletal muscle and the pancreas to reduce insulin resistance. In human safety testing, the team also found that the substance was absorbed into the blood with no adverse effects in the kidney, liver, or muscle.
In their study, the team fed mice high-fat diets for eight weeks to induce obesity and insulin resistance. For the next five weeks, they added AvoB to the high-fat diets of half of the mice.
The treated mice weighed significantly less than those in the control group, showing slower weight gain. More importantly, the treated mice showed greater insulin sensitivity, meaning that their bodies were able to absorb and burn blood glucose and improve their insulin response.
In a human clinical study, AvoB was given as a dietary supplement to participants who ate a typical western diet. AvoB was absorbed safely into their blood without an ill effect on the kidney, liver, or skeletal muscle. The team also saw lowered weight in the human subjects.
All of this sounds great, right?
Sure, but here's the rub. Eating avocados alone, or any other food for that matter, will not reverse or even prevent obesity. For one, the amount of natural avocatin B varies widely from Avocado to Avocado, and, as the researchers pointed out, it's still not understood how avocatin B is digested and absorbed.
Avocados are frequently lauded as a weight-loss food, particularly by the Keto folks. Still, they're also high in calories - one avocado contains about 240 calories or about 10-20 percent of most people’s daily calorie needs - and people may fight their weight loss efforts get stalled if they eat too many of them.
Obesity is a complex, systems disorder, meaning some many factors or systems contribute to its development. It's never just one thing. If we know anything from the example of this country's millions of failed dieters, nutritional interventions alone seldom work. A complex disease like obesity requires a complex solution that considers the many reasons why we gain weight.
There are many positive reasons to add avocados to your diet. A single avocado contains about 21 grams of healthy monounsaturated fat, which can help lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, and help develop and maintain our cells. Monounsaturated fat is also high in vitamin E, which is needed for healthy vision and a healthy immune system. One avocado also contains 10 grams of fiber — or almost half the RDA— and with a variety of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.
So, eat your avocados. Just don't expect weight loss lightning in a bottle.
Source: EurekAlert! #obese #obesity #diet #dieting #weightloss #avocado #heathyeating #healthylifestyle #weightlossjourney #blog #blogger #science #study #eatingbehavior #weightgain #nutrition #food #healthyfood
Comments
Post a Comment