Swapping Carbs With Fresh Avocado Found To Suppress Hunger

Research out of the Illinois Institute of Technology reveals that swapping the refined carbohydrates in your meals with fresh avocados may reduce hunger later in the day. The findings were recently published in the journal Nutrients, where the study details fresh Hass avocados, feelings of fullness, and the effect this dietary change has on insulin.

Avocados are tasty, high in calories, and primarily composed of fat. High-fat diets are all the rage right now as consumers continue the trend of eschewing carbohydrates, particularly refined sugars found in many products. Though these dieters usually get fat from sources like nuts, fish, and oils, the new study indicates that avocados may offer a little extra benefit.

Appetite control is a vital part of decreasing food consumption and obesity levels. Insulin, in addition to some other hormones, is tightly linked with appetite, but there's no single effective way to straighten things out and reduce an excessively high appetite.

Eating fewer carbohydrates and more fats is often promoted as a form of appetite control, and this latest study underscores that effectiveness. According to the researchers, overweight and obese adults who participated in the clinical trial reported significant hunger suppression and increased meal satisfaction when refined carbs were replaced with fresh avocado.

In addition to these positive effects, the study found that the intestinal hormone peptide YY (PYY) had an important role in this positive outcome; PYY had been implicated as a point of interest in past obesity research, as well. Participants who consumed avocado experienced limited blood sugar and insulin hormone excursions. This positive change is associated with decreased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.