- Avocados may significantly improve blood sugar control for some people, though not everyone, a new study suggests.
- The study observed that for people with a newly identified metabolic biomarker of avocado intake, there is a strong association with decreased fasting glucose and fasting insulin, and a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.
- The study of body metabolites, or metabolomics, along with the study of one’s microbiome, may lead to a new era of personalized nutrition.
A study investigating an association between the consumption of avocados and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes found only a weak correlation between avocado intake and lower fasting insulin, with the association becoming nonsignificant once body mass index (BMI) was considered.
However, the authors of the study identified the presence of an “avocado intake biomarker” in some people that was significantly associated with lower fasting glucose and lower fasting insulin, as well as a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study findings suggest that individualized metabolic profiling may be key to identifying those foods that may reliably aid a person’s health.
Metabolites are small molecule products that result from metabolic reactions within cells, tissue, or an organism.
Metabolomics is the systematic study of the body’s chemical processes that involve metabolites. It allows researchers to identify distinct fingerprints that can be associated with specific cellular processes.
The study suggests that the metabolome may, together with the better-known microbiome, be key in developing targeted, personalized health interventions.
The study was funded by a grant from The Hass Avocado Board, and it appears in The Journal of Nutrition.
The study is based on data from 6,220 adults, aged 45 to 84 years, who participated in the ongoing Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Recruitment occurred at six sites across the United States between 2000 and 2002, and the participants were followed…
Read the full article here