Study: Adding half avocado to lunch can reduce desire to eat between meals
Study: Adding half avocado to lunch can reduce desire to eat between meals
The Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, announced earlier this year the publication of a study “that suggests adding one-half of a fresh avocado to lunch may have helped 26 healthy, overweight people feel more satisfied and reduced their desire to eat following a meal.” According to a board press release, the study, which was funded by HAB, was conducted by researchers at the Loma Linda University and published in Nutrition Journal.
The human clinical study was the second in a series of HAB-funded studies that will focus on such topics as weight management, heart health, type 2 diabetes and healthy living.
The Loma Linda study showed that overweight study participants “who added half of a fresh avocado to their lunch reported a significant desire to eat, by 40 percent over a three-hour period following that meal and by 28 percent over a five-hour period after that meal,” as compared with their desire to eat “after they had consumed the same lunch without an avocado,” said HAB Executive Director Emiliano Escobedo.
The study also brought to light “other positive findings” related to blood glucose levels and insulin levels of the study participants, Escobedo said.
News of the study has been well received and welcomed “by a lot of people,” he said, noting that more and more retailers are communicating health information to customers to help them make smart eating choices.
The health and nutrition studies conducted by HAB will help retailers achieve that goal, he said.
HAB is running a national advertising campaign on the WebMD website to promote the organization’s “Love One Today” theme and build awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of avocados in the diet, Escobedo said.
WebMD, an online resource for health professionals as well as consumers, also has nutritional information and will be “promoting avocado nutrition and good health tips pertaining to avocados,” he said.
Also as part of the board’s nutritional outreach efforts, “we are working with Harley Pasternak, a celebrity trainer,” Escobedo said. “He is our spokesperson, and he has been doing a lot of outreach, spreading the word about ‘Love One Today’ and the health benefits associated with consuming avocados. We are going to continue with him, definitely,” throughout the period that encompasses the California avocado shipping season.
