Whether it’s a guacamole, accompanying a ceviche or a toast, avocado is essential in any dish.
And, in addition to being very tasty, it also has great benefits in combating diabetes, as confirmed by a new study. According to research in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a link was identified between the consumption of avocados and a reduced risk of diabetes in some adults.
The eating habits and diabetes diagnosis data from The National Health and Nutrition Survey in the years 2012, 2016 and 2018.
Of the 25,640 qualified respondents aged approximately 20 years or older, 59% were women and more than 60% had abdominal obesity. Of these, around 45% of participants reported eating avocados daily: 34.7 grams on average for men and 29.8 grams for women.
“Among women, this study showed that, compared to non-avocado consumers, avocado consumers were more than 20% less likely to have diabetes, even after adjusting for various factors such as age, educational level , body weight, physical activity and more,” said study author Feon Cheng.
“This research is especially important considering that hispanic adults are more likely to develop diabetes later in life than american adults overall and at a younger age,” he added.
It does not have the same effect on men
On the other hand, the researchers did not find the same diabetes-reducing effects in men.
“Interestingly, there are differences between men and women, which can be attributed to different lifestyle factors,” Cheng said.
“Although we did not compare lifestyle factors in this study, it warrants future research to explore whether they may help explain the difference observed between men and women,” Cheng said.
Likewise, it revealed that avocados contain “numerous vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that can help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.”
In addition, it is “full of omega 3 fats, low in carbohydrates and rich in fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamins C, E and K,” said a nutritionist who was not involved in the study.
“To further reduce the risk of diabetes, is fundamental to add avocados as part of your overall healthy eating pattern, also reduce added sugars, choosing fiber-rich whole grains and consuming plenty of vegetables,” the specialist advised.