What Research Says About Avocados and Diabetes

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Could avocados play a similar role if you have diabetes? The fact is you need to regularly meet with your medical team if you have diabetes. However, new research[1] published in May of this year in the Current Developments in Nutrition journal suggests that an avocado a day may help control blood sugar.

Researchers conducted a six-month study to evaluate whether adding one large avocado a day to the typical diet of overweight adults would reduce dietary Glycemic Index (GI) and/or Glycemic Load (GL). There is some evidence that diets lower in GI and GL may have an impact on preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes.

GI is one of the tools to use to manage diabetes. The GI scores carbohydrate-laden foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their potential to raise blood sugar levels compared with the same quantity of a reference food—glucose or white bread. Foods that have a high-glycemic index value raise blood sugar levels higher than foods that have a lower value.  

GL looks at both the quality and the quantity of carbohydrates to more comprehensively assess the impact of a particular food on glycemic response. GL estimates how much a normal serving of food will raise a person's blood glucose level after consumption. A food can have a high glycemic index but still have a low glycemic load if it does not contain much carbohydrate in a typical serving. For example, watermelons have a high glycemic index (80). Yet a watermelon serving has very little carbohydrate, so its glycemic load is only 5. Low-GL foods can help reduce glucose spikes to better manage diabetes.

Among the 961 participants in the study, the avocado-supplemented group showed a reduction in dietary GL by 13.7 points compared to the control group who continued their usual diet and avoided avocadoes. Except for the avocado, food groups contributed similar amounts to the overall GL. As for the GI, measurements were about the same. Researchers concluded that the daily addition of avocado to the usual diet produced a clinically meaningful reduction in dietary glycemic load without the need for broader dietary changes or restrictive interventions.

Avocados and diabetes benefits

Researches are exploring whether avocados can help prevent and manage diabetes because of the many known health benefits of avocados and diabetes. Avocados are: [2]^,[3]

Low in carbs: Because they are low in carbs, avocados have little impact on blood sugar levels and do not cause spikes.

High in fiber: When it comes to avocados and diabetes, fiber content comes into play. Avocados are a good source of fiber. Fiber is another kind of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. Fiber does not provide energy, but it has a beneficial role in digestion and metabolism. Fiber can help slow down the body’s absorption of sugar, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.[4]

Rich in healthy fats. Avocados are loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats. They can improve insulin sensitivity, helping the body use insulin more effectively.

Nutrient rich: You cannot discuss the health benefits of avocados and diabetes without noting their abundance of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats which support heart health and metabolic functionality.

Filling: Fiber and healthy fats in avocados can make you feel full longer and so diminish the desire for snacks, which can help weight control.

Latest study on avocados and diabetes

In another study on avocados and diabetes Type 2 announced in May researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University will examine the effects of eating one avocado each day on fasting blood glucose, glycemic control (how well glucose stays within a healthy range over time) and insulin sensitivity. Researchers hope the findings of the Avocado-T2D study will help advance evidence-based nutritional strategies for people living with Type 2 diabetes. Participants for the study range between 18 and 70 and have a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

“Nutrition is one of the most important tools available for managing Type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. John Apolzan, Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical. “This study will help us better understand whether incorporating avocados into a controlled dietary pattern can positively influence blood sugar regulation and overall metabolic health.”

The avocados and diabetes Type 2 study will be divided into two periods, with each part lasting five weeks. There will be a two-week “washout” period between these periods, during which time participants will eat their normal diet on their own.

During one diet period, participants will consume one whole avocado per day. During the second diet period, they will consume other fruits matching the avocado in energy every day for five weeks.

During both five-week diet periods, the Pennington Biomedical Metabolic Kitchen will prepare and provide participants with all meals, snacks and beverages using a five-day rotating menu. Calorie intake will remain identical between the two study diets.

While avocados can be a beneficial addition to diabetes menu planning, always talk to your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diabetes diet.