Avocados have a reputation for being fatty and high in calories, which leads some people to avoid them, especially if they are overweight. This is a mistake for several reasons:
First of all, the lipids contained in the avocado are of great quality. Of the 20.5 g of lipids it contains (per 100 grams), 12.3 g are monounsaturated fatty acids and 2.8 g are polyunsaturated fatty acids, the best fats for your health.
High quality lipids
Secondly, the avocado is rich in fiber and oleic acid, which promotes the feeling of satiety. Researchers have discovered that this fatty acid, which is found in large quantities in olive oil and avocado, acts on the brain to regulate the feeling of hunger1.
During digestion, oleic acid is converted into a hormone, OEA (oleoylethanolamide), by cells in the upper layers of the small intestine.
This hormone is responsible for transmitting hunger-suppressing messages to the brain. Thus, the consumption of half an avocado would reduce the feeling of hunger by 40%!
Avocado does not make you fat
The winning combination of fiber and good lipids gives the avocado unsuspected effects. I admit that I was surprised myself when I discovered how much avocado could be suitable for overweight people.
Researchers have found that eating one avocado a day for six months can help reduce visceral fat in some obese subjects2.
In concrete terms, body fat was redistributed more harmoniously in the body, thus avoiding an excessive concentration around organs (such as the liver). This surprising effect was only observed in women. Don't ask me why, it remains a mystery...
The studies on this subject are rather contradictory and leave the researchers a little on their hunger (it is the case to say it!). Anyway, if the avocado should not be considered as a slimming food, what is certain, it is that it does not support the weight gain.
A reasonable consumption (one avocado two or three times a week) will have little impact on your waistline.
Eight studies on 657 people3 have confirmed that avocados do not promote weight gain and that, on the contrary, regular consumers are even more likely to keep their weight down over time4 !
The favorable action of the avocado on the intestinal microbiota5is sometimes evoked to explain the results of these researches; an imbalance of the flora being one of the factors which can lead to overweight.
In any case, you will have understood it, you will not gain anything to remove the avocado from your menus in case of diet. A good tip is to use avocado instead of butter or mayonnaise, to bring a creamy and fatty touch to your recipes.
For example, mashed avocado on a sandwich is just as tasty and can help to significantly reduce calories, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.
L’avocat rend les autres fruits et légumes meilleurs pour la santé
As we have seen, the avocado is one of the few fruits (yes, it is a fruit) rich in lipids. This gives it another particularity, i.e. to improve the bioavailability of fat-soluble vitamins provided by the whole meal6.
It is estimated that the body could absorb three to five times more vitamins and antioxidants when avocado is on the menu. The fat-soluble vitamins (soluble in lipids and stored by the body) are vitamins A, E, D and K.
The first two are powerful antioxidants that protect against cell aging, while vitamin D plays an essential role in bone mineralization and immunity.
Many of us are deficient in these nutrients, so anything that helps to replenish them is welcome. As for vitamin K, it promotes blood clotting and plays a key role in bone structure.
Incorporating a few nice slices of avocado into your salads, for example, is an excellent idea to strengthen your bones and protect you from oxidative stress.
Some additional reasons to eat avocados
Avocados help stabilize blood sugar levels
Rich, creamy and well supplied with fibers, the avocado slows down the digestion. This has the effect of preventing the glycemia from rising sharply after a meal.
In addition, the glycemic index of avocado is quite low. The glycemic profiles of obese middle-aged adults were thus improved by incorporating avocado in their diet7.
Avocados protect against cardiovascular disease
A large study including 68 786 healthy women and 41 701 healthy men was conducted between 1986 and 20168. A total of 14 274 vascular events (stroke, MI, etc) were identified during these 30 years of follow-up.
It was found that among the participants, those who regularly consumed avocado had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who did not.
The avocado reduces cholesterol
Even if the results of the studies are modest on this plan, it was shown that the regular consumption of avocado reduced the total and LDL cholesterol level in the people suffering from hypercholesterolemia9.
The avocado, star of cosmetics
The composition of the avocado makes it a key ingredient in beauty products.
Avocado oil is frequently used in face masks, hair masks or in moisturizing creams.
If you want to test the virtues of the avocado for the skin, here is the recipe of a mask that you can make very easily:
- Blend half a very ripe avocado with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon.
- Apply to your entire face, including your neck and even your décolleté, for 15 minutes before rinsing.
As for the beauty of hair, the avocado is to be preferred for people with particularly dry hair.
Here is a nourishing homemade mask that you can make to restore suppleness, shine and volume to your hair:
- Mix one avocado with three tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon and one plain yogurt.
- Once the mixture is well blended, apply it to the entire length of your hair.
- After 30 minutes, shampoo as usual.
Are you used to eating avocados? Did you know that it can also be part of a diet?
The food supplements can also help you improve your weight. The laboratory Perfect Health Solutions offers natural solutions. If you are interested, click here. Do not hesitate to contact their team, doctors and naturopaths are at your disposal: + 33 (0) 1 76 38 20 18.
Sources:
[1] https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/29953-scientists-uncover-how-olive-oil-regulates-appetite/fr
[2] Khan NA, et al. Avocado Consumption, Abdominal Adiposity, and Oral Glucose Tolerance Among Persons with Overweight and Obesity. J Nutr. 2021
[3] Conceição AR, et al. Can avocado intake improve weight loss in adults with excess weight? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Res. 2022
[4] Heskey C, et al. Avocado Intake, and Longitudinal Weight and Body Mass Index Changes in an Adult Cohort. Nutrients. 2019
[5] Thompson SV, et al. Avocado Consumption Alters Gastrointestinal Bacteria Abundance and Microbial Metabolite Concentrations among Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2021
[6] Dreher ML, et al. Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013
[7] Park E, et al. Avocado Fruit on Postprandial Markers of Cardio-Metabolic Risk: A Randomized Controlled Dose Response Trial in Overweight and Obese Men and Women. Nutrients. 2018
[8] Pacheco LS, et al. Avocado Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022
[9] James-Martin G, et al. Avocado Consumption and Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022
