Daily avocado intake alters abdominal fat distribution in women, study finds

06 Sep 2021 --- Women who consume an avocado every day could have their belly fat redistributed as avocado consumption leads to reduced deeper visceral abdominal fat.

This is according to a study conducted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and funded by the Hass Avocado Board.

While daily consumption of avocados did not change glucose tolerance, the researchers found that a dietary pattern that includes an avocado every day impacted the way individuals store body fat in a beneficial manner for their health. 

“The benefits were primarily in females,” says Naiman Khan, department of kinesiology and community health, University of Illinois and lead study author.

“It’s important to demonstrate that dietary interventions can modulate fat distribution. Learning that the benefits were only evident in females tells us a little bit about the potential for sex playing a role in dietary intervention responses.”Visceral abdominal fat was reduced in women who consumed one avocado a day.

“Our research not only sheds a valuable light on benefits of daily avocado consumption on the different types of fat distribution across genders, it also provides us with a foundation to conduct further work to understand the full impact avocados have on body fat and health,” adds Richard Mackenzie, study co-author and professor of human metabolism at the University of Roehampton, UK.

Effects of avocado intake monitored
The study consisted of 105 adults aged between 25 to 45 years old. These individuals were overweight. The participants were provided with one meal a day for 12 weeks.

At the beginning and end of the 12 weeks, the researchers measured participants’ abdominal fat and glucose tolerance, a measure of metabolism and a marker of diabetes.

“The goal was not weight loss; we were interested in understanding what eating an avocado does to the way individuals store their body fat. The location of fat in the body plays an important role in health,” adds Khan.

The participants were divided into two groups. One group received meals that incorporated a fresh avocado, while the other group received a meal that had nearly identical ingredients and similar calories but did not contain avocado.

Reductions in visceral abdominal fat
Female participants who consumed an avocado a day as part of their meal had a reduction in visceral abdominal fat, and they experienced a reduction in the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat, indicating a redistribution of fat away from the organs.

“In the abdomen, there are two kinds of fat: fat that accumulates right underneath the skin, called subcutaneous fat and fat that accumulates deeper in the abdomen, known as visceral fat, that surrounds the internal organs,” adds Khan.

“Individuals with a higher proportion of that deeper visceral fat tend to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes.”Dietary interventions can change fat distribution.

Fat distribution in males did not change, and neither males nor females had improvements in glucose tolerance.

Further research needed
The researchers hope to conduct a follow-up study to provide participants with all their daily meals and look at additional markers of gut health and physical health.

This will allow for a complete picture of the metabolic effects of avocado consumption and determine whether the difference remains between the two sexes.

“By taking our research further, we will be able to gain a clearer picture into which types of people would benefit most from incorporating avocados into their diets and deliver valuable data for health care advisers to provide patients with guidance on how to reduce fat storage and the potential dangers of diabetes,” says Mackenzie.

Industry players have previously shown interest in the benefits of avocados. According to a Weizmann Institute of Science study, beta-sitosterol, found in avocados, can reduce cholesterol levels and anxiety.

A separate study from the University of Guelph in Canada found that avocado consumption aids in managing obesity and the prevention of diabetes.

By Nicole Kerr