Image by Ema Poposka
Research that was published early this month in the scientific Journal of Nutrition proves that eating avocado every day will improve the health of your gut. The research was conducted at the University of Illinois and included 163 adults between ages 25-45 years who were overweight and obese, but otherwise healthy (Thompson at al. 2021).
“The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of avocado consumption on the gastrointestinal microbiota,” says Hannah Holscher, assistant professor of nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, the senior author of the study. The results of the 12-week long study had proven that “avocado consumption reduced bile acids and increased short-chain fatty acids. These changes correlate with beneficial health outcomes,” says lead author Sharon Thompson.
Avocados are a healthy food that is high in dietary fibre and monounsaturated fat. Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as magnesium and potassium. They also provide omega-3 fatty acids. It is already known that eating avocados can help when feeling full and reduce blood cholesterol concentration. “It’s just a really nicely packaged fruit that contains nutrients that are important for health. Our work shows we can add benefits to gut health to that list,” Holscher says.
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