Not only is avocado blooming delicious, but adding one-half of the fresh fresh fruit to lunch could keep hunger pangs at bay until dinner time.
According to a recent study, the green fruit may have helped healthy, overweight people feel more satisfied and reduced their food cravings after a meal.
The study compared the effects of incorporating fresh avocado into a lunch - either by replacing other foods or by simply adding it to the meal- would influence satiety, blood sugar and insulin response, and subsequent food intake.
Researchers found that participants who added half of a fresh avocado to their lunch reported a significantly decreased desire to eat by 40% over a three-hour period, and by 28% over a five-hour period after the meal, compared to their hunger pangs after a standard avocado-free lunch.
In addition, they reported increased feelings of satisfaction by 26% over the three hours following the meal.
"Satiety is an important factor in weight management, because people who feel satisfied are less likely to snack between meals," said lead researcher Joan Sabaté.
"We also noted that though adding avocados increased participants' calorie and carbohydrate intake at lunch, there was no increase in blood sugar levels beyond what was observed after eating the standard lunch. This leads us to believe that avocados potential role in blood sugar management is worth further investigation."
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While the findings were generally positive, more research is needed to determine whether the conclusions drawn from this study can be applied to the general public. However, the results do provide promising clues and a basis for future research to determine avocados' effect on satiety, glucose and insulin response.
"These research findings provide support for the emerging benefits of avocados," said Nikki Ford, PhD, Director of Nutrition at the Hass Avocado Board (HAB).
"These results further complement our research efforts in weight management and diabetes as well as our continued work to explore the many benefits that fresh avocados have to offer when consumed in everyday healthy eating plans."
The study was published in the November issue of Nutrition Journal and funded by the Hass Avocado Board. The subjects were 26 healthy, overweight adults.