Scientists from Tufts University and other institutions have found that eating one avocado per day does not significantly reduce belly fat.
Abdominal obesity refers to excess fat that builds up around the center of the body, also known as visceral fat. This type of fat surrounds internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders.
Previous research has shown that excess belly fat can be harmful because it increases the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and liver disease.
Some short-term clinical studies have suggested that regular avocado consumption may improve body weight, reduce belly fat, and increase feelings of fullness.
Avocados are rich in nutrients, including vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also contain lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, avocados are high in healthy fats, which may help people feel fuller between meals.
In the current study, researchers examined whether eating one large avocado per day for six months could reduce belly fat.
The study included more than 1,000 free-living adults with a large waist circumference. Participants were assigned either to add one avocado per day to their regular diet or to continue their habitual diet without adding avocados.
After six months, the researchers found no significant difference in belly fat between the avocado-supplemented group and the habitual diet group.
There were also no meaningful differences between the groups in markers of inflammation or components of metabolic syndrome.
However, the avocado group showed modest reductions in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), often referred to as “bad” cholesterol.
Other measures, including body weight, body mass index (BMI), insulin levels, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations, and the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, were similar between the two groups.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that adding one avocado per day to the habitual diet for six months does not reduce belly fat in adults with abdominal obesity.
The results suggest that this dietary change alone may have limited impact on reducing the risk of heart and metabolic diseases.
The study was conducted by Alice H. Lichtenstein and colleagues and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
