Study reveals important benefit of avocado for gut health

A new study from the University of Illinois shows that eating avocados as part of your daily diet can help improve gut health.

Avocados are a healthy food rich in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats. However, it has not been clear how avocados affect microbes in the digestive system or “gut.”

Sharon Thompson, a graduate student in the department of Nutritional Sciences at Illoni University and lead author of the article published in the Journal of Nutrition, says avocados keep gut microbes happy by helping to break down fiber and reduce fiber. unhealthy acids.

The research team found that people who eat avocados daily for breakfast have a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fiber and produce metabolites that support gut health. They also had greater microbial diversity compared to the subjects who did not receive the avocado flours in the study.

The researchers tested the effects of consuming avocado on a daily basis in 163 overweight or obese adults between the ages of 25 and 45. Half of them received avocados with their daily meal, while the other participants received no avocados.

At the end of the 12-week period, the avocado group had more microbes than we need to break down fiber and create metabolites that promote gut health than the control group.

Avocados can be high in calories and fat, but they still contribute to your recommended daily fiber intake and are packed with nutrients like potassium, so they are worth considering adding to your healthy diet.

According to the study, daily consumption of avocados made the participants’ bodies absorb less fat from the food they ate.

“Just as we think about heart-healthy foods, we also need to think about gut-healthy foods and how to feed bacteria. Avocados are packed with nutrients, including fiber and healthy fats that help maintain gut health by nurture them, “said co-author Hannah Holcher. Your microbes. “

“It’s just well-packaged fruit that contains important health nutrients. Our work shows that we can add gut health benefits to that list,” he added.

Source: Metro