Researchers discover avocado's effects on type 2 diabetes

Hispanics and Latinos in the United States are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine examined the relationship between avocado consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They published their findings in the Journal of Diabetes Mellitus.

Diet and exercise are the most effective lifestyle adjustments for managing and preventing type 2 diabetes. Dr. Alexis Wood, assistant professor of pediatrics—nutrition at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor and Texas Children's Hospital, is interested in identifying popular, easy-to-prepare and -eat foods that can be incorporated into the diet.

Using existing data sets from a large population of Hispanic adults across the country, participants were categorized as avocado consumers or non-consumers based on what they reported eating over the course of two typical days. With the assistance of a registered dietitian, participants were asked to recall all the food and beverages consumed in the previous 24 hours, including how these foods were prepared, for two typical days.

The dietitian's objective was to help the participant be more precise, to prompt them to recall neglected foods, and to obtain a more detailed description of how the foods were obtained and prepared. They estimated the association between avocado consumption and the development of type 2 diabetes in participants over a six-year follow-up period. Over the course of six years, avocado consumption was associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Since the American Diabetes Association recommends reducing all fats in the diet to manage or prevent type 2 diabetes, researchers have pondered whether avocado's relatively high fat content diminishes their function as a healthy food for type 2 diabetes prevention. Even if your primary dietary goal is to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, this study suggests that it is reasonable to include avocado in your daily diet at normal consumption levels.

"The next step is to understand the mechanisms linking avocado to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes." "We are currently conducting studies that will help us personalize these findings by determining how different subgroups of individuals process avocado consumption," Wood explained.