Avocado has fast grabbed eyeballs of health buffs after its high nutritional profile came into limelight. It is especially recommended for heart health as it contains good mono-saturated oils that bring down bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol in the body. Also, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it is considered great for overall health. It is creamy, delicious and quite a satisfying food. But, due to its high amount of fats, it was never a part of a dieter's diet. But, findings of a new study quash this misconception. In fact, the study claims that avocado could actually be beneficial in managing obesity as well as high blood sugar that causes diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that refers to body's inability to respond to insulin produced in the body, which leads to improper processing of glucose in the blood and the level of blood sugar shoots up. This can also happen when the energy powerhouses in the body's cells are unable to burn fatty acids completely. Usually, fatty acid oxidation lets the body burn stored fats. Obesity or diabetes renders the process ineffective, which leads to incomplete oxidation.
(Also Read: Benefits Of Avocado: 11 More Reasons To Love The Fruit)
Excessive weight may lead to high blood sugar.
The first-of-its kind research led by Prof. Paul Spagnuolo divulged that avocados contain a fat molecule avocatin B (AvoB) (in fact, they are the only fruit that contains this compound) that can restrict cellular processes that may cause diabetes. The compound can fight incomplete oxidation in skeletal muscle and the pancreas to reduce insulin resistance. The findings of the study were published in the journal - 'Molecular Nutrition and Food Research'.
The researchers fed high-fat diets to mice for eight weeks to induce obesity and insulin resistance. In the next five weeks, they added AvoB to half of the mice's high-fat diet. It was seen that mice that consumed AvoB weighed considerably less than the ones in the control group.
Prof. Paul Spagnuolo added, "The treated mice showed greater insulin sensitivity, meaning that their bodies were able to absorb and burn blood glucose and improve their response to insulin."
In another study with human participants, AvoB was given as a dietary supplement in a typical western diet. The U of G researchers carried out the safety testing in humans and found that the compound was absorbed into the blood with no negative effects in the kidney, liver or muscle, and also noticed weight loss.