An avocado a day keeps diabetes away

Thirty-eight-year-old Irene has been jogging each morning for the past two months. Previously an exercise freak, Irene notes she was forced to change her ways upon being diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

People with this condition, which is also known as borderline diabetes, usually have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level that is not high enough to meet the type 2 diabetes diagnosis threshold.

Type 2 diabetes blood sugar level hits 200mg/dL (milligrammes per decilitre) and above. Those with pre-diabetes on the other hand, have a reading of between 140mg/dL to 199mg/dL.

Prior knowledge of one's pre-diabetes status is usually viewed as a blessing in disguise since it alerts those affected they are inching closer to a point of no return (type 2 diabetes) unless they act fast to return their blood sugar to normal levels.

Once people get type 2 diabetes, they need to rely on treatment to manage the ailment since it cannot be reversed.

But pre-diabetes offers a window of opportunity through which those affected can take measures that will prevent them from slipping into the type 2 diabetes.

Avoiding the condition is important since the disease predisposes people to serious problems such as kidney failure, blindness, nerve problems and loss of limb (amputation).

Type 2 diabetes mostly results from being overweight or obese, with an increase in fat accumulation within the abdominal area as opposed to other parts of the body.

Carrying extra weight around the belly causes fat to build up around vital body organs such as the liver and pancreas.

This causes insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes, since the insulin cannot get through the fat and regulate sugar levels effectively.

Lifestyle
The major lifestyle changes for preventing diabetes is to focus on overall weight reduction and abdominal fat.

Increased physical activity or exercises for at least 30 minutes, five days a week, diets with vegetables, whole grains, white meat, and non-sugary drinks also come in handy in the weight loss journey, as well as stress reduction.

In addition, new research points to the importance of avocados in tackling the stubborn belly fat among women.

The findings of the new study, which are published in the Nutrition Journal, show that consuming an avocado a day could help expedite weight loss generally, and specifically in the abdominal area among women.

Fat location
In the abdomen, there are two kinds of fat; subcutaneous and visceral. The latter accumulates right underneath the skin while the former accumulates deeper in the abdomen thus surrounding the internal organs.

Individuals with a higher proportion of this deeper visceral fat are the ones that tend to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes.

“We were interested in understanding what eating an avocado does to the way individuals store their body fat, since the location of fat in the body plays an important role in health,” said Naiman Khan, the lead author of the study and professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois.

Dietary pattern
“What we learned is that a dietary pattern that includes an avocado every day impacted the way individuals store body fat in a beneficial manner for their health. But the benefits were primarily in females,” Khan says.

Studies have shown that avocados are rich in monosaturated and oleic fatty acids that help to significantly lose abdominal fat. They are high in fibre,  have a ‘filling’ effect that quells hunger pangs, hence reducing the need for constant eating that leads to weight gain.

In addition, avocados assist in reducing high blood pressure and lowering cholesterol levels.

Caution
An entire Hass avocado has about 250–300 calories. Although avocados have the good kind of fat, these calories can still lead to weight gain if consumed in excess of your calorie needs.

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s essential that you practice portion control. Instead of adding avocado to your current diet, use it as a substitution for foods that are high in saturated fat, like cheese and butter. 

For example, you can mash up an avocado and spread it on toast instead of using butter.