A newly published study shows that eating one avocado a day triggers a redistribution of belly fat, which reduces the risk of certain metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. However, these beneficial changes were only observed in female participants.
The study, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, involved 105 overweight and obese adults who were assigned to two groups. One group of participants included an avocado at dinner; the other group ate a very similar dinner, but no avocados.
The participants ate their respective dinners over a 12-week period, after which the researchers compared their abdominal fat distribution to measurements before starting a specific diet. The researchers found that the group that did not consume avocados did not undergo any changes, but the group that consumed avocados for dinner every day experienced beneficial redistribution of belly fat.
This change involved a shift in the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat in favor, but was only observed in female participants. The men who participated in the study did not experience the same reduction in visceral fat, which accumulates around the organs, linked to a significant increase in the risk of various diseases.
However, daily consumption of avocados did not have an effect on glucose tolerance in any of the participants. Regardless, the findings suggest that avocados may be an easy way for people, especially women, to reduce the risks associated with visceral fat.